War
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: Final chapter up!When there is a war many things can happen. People change, and die. A war is on in the spirit world, a war to save Koenma's life. But as they fight two of our four rekai are destined for death. no yaoi
1. How It Began

YAY! I like doing long fics! This is going to be good I hope! I own nothing btw. Be prepared for angst, angst and more angst. There will be happy breaks as well, no angst story is good without there being a few happy breaks. Well, hope you enjoy this!  
  
~Kazima.  
  
Yusuke sat outside, starring at the enemy demons, a silver bracelet on his wrist, he had a blue jacket, as well as a helmet. Kuwabara was at his side, his hair down, like his own, his face dirty. Hiei was behind him, bandaging his arm. He'd thrown his Helmet away. Not even bothering with it. Kurama was on Yusuke's other side, and he had his helmet on like Yusuke and Kuwabara.  
  
Yusuke glanced around. Spread out around him were miles and miles, of demons, and humans. Female and male, young and old. And every one of them, were Reikai. They all had the silver bracelets on, and the blue jackets.   
  
Behind them were tents, which were for the wounded, and they were being protected by a shield, only letting those who were Reikai in. Inside the shield were also cots, for those who weren't on the verge of death, and could handle being outside. If you were an impostor, the shield would kill you. Healers were in that tent taking care of every wounded and sick. Also in the tent was a portal, for the dead. the body was placed inside and a Shinigami would come and fly the body back, so that they could be returned to the spirit world.  
  
Also ahead of Yusuke were trenches, holes which had been dug, craters from blasts, and of course the enemy demons. The demons had banded together to try to break in and destroy spirit world. And thousands of Reikai had shown up, to protect the spirit world.  
  
This was a war.  
  
Yusuke closed his eyes remembering the day he and the others were called to Koenma's office....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama watched as Koenma, in teenage form, stood stiffly in front of them. "A tribe of demons have declared war against the spirit world. They even have collected other demons to help them. I have called all the Rekai, people and demons alike, who will help. I need your help as well. Please...If they break in, they will eat the souls that come here. They will take over, and Earth...there will be nothing left if they succeed in taking over."  
  
The four starred, shocked. Hiei glared angrily, "So you want us to declare war?! THAT'S FOOLISH!" Hiei snarled at him. Koenma looked at him with such a weary face, that the aggression and tension, slowly eased out of Hiei's face.   
  
"I'm dying."  
  
The group gasped and Yusuke took a step forward. "What?!" Koenma sunk wearily into his seat, "They've weakened me, I have killed many demon's and I have nothing else to give...I used all my powers that was given to me...I used the powers that I am only supposed to use to help guide spirits up, I have drained my self of my energy, the source I need to live...and now I'm dying...I can't fight...I have to recuperate for 60 days at least, in a coma like state...or...I'll die, and the demons will take over."  
  
The group starred at him, and Kurama spoke, "What do you want us to do?" Koenma got up, swaying on his feet, and lead them to another room. "These are what you'll be wearing." He held up a navy blue jacket, and a helmet. "We have demon's on our side as well, and we need to recognize each other so we don't kill one another. These jackets can't be destroyed, they can only be taken off. Be careful, where them at all times...unless you want to be mistaken for an enemy." He placed it down, "And these are or weapons." He held out four silver bracelets.  
  
"I'm not into jewelry." Hiei snorted.  
  
"This is not jewelry. It feeds you spirit energy so you never run out. And in Hiei's and Kurama's case it will give you energy to launch out. This is very valuable. I'm not supposed to give theses out. My own Dad, will send me away if he finds out." Koenma handed them the things which they put on.  
  
"Whoa!" Kuwabara exclaimed, as the bracelet tightened. "What the-?!" "Don't worry about it. Its supposed to do that so it doesn't fall off." Koenma swayed again, and this time fell on his knees.  
  
Yusuke went up to him trying to help him up, but Koenma waving him off. "You really screwed yourself up. Why did you do it?" Koenma looked at him tiredly. "Because this was too great a mission for all of you. But maybe now it'll be okay, I wiped out as many as I could...Go on Yusuke. Boeton will take you to the battle field."  
  
They left Koenma looking back. He still hadn't gotten up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~end of flashback~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yusuke was brought out of his thoughts when he was pushed aside as a large blast blew up the spot where he was. Kuwabara held his burned hand painfully. "Urameshi be careful." He said wincing with pain, and holding his hand. Yusuke crawled over to him, and looked at the hand. "Oh Kuwabara...I'm sorry." "No worries."  
  
Kurama handed some leaves to Yusuke. "Scrub his hand with this." Yusuke obeyed and Kuwabara's burn began to disappear. "Thanks Kurama." Kuwabara said smiling. Kurama smiled back and returned to the trench, holding out his palm and fired a pinkish red blast.  
  
Hiei was firing away black blasts, smirking. He liked being able to use energy without using Dragon of The Darkness Flame. Yusuke and Kuwabara crawled and fired over the trench. Kuwabara could force out his sword out his hand, and launch it like an arrow at the demons. Yusuke's spirit Gun was larger, and more powerful than ever.  
  
"Look out!" Hiei grabbed Kurama and the ground blew up. A few people weren't so lucky. A human girl lay dead on the ground, with her was a young man. He shook his head bleeding severely, and cried out. "Marie! Marie! " He went over to her and shook her. "Don't you dare be dead! We're best friend's, and you promised not to die! We always joked we'd die about laughing our heads off! Come back Marie, lets do that, MARIE!" The boy collapsed on top of her sobbing.   
  
Yusuke felt his heart split out for him. He crawled over to the teen. "Hey, we got to get you bandaged up...Don't worry when Koenma's power returns she'll be back. " The teen was crying, and looked as if he had not heard him. Yusuke picked up the dead girl, and grabbed the boy by his elbow.   
  
Yusuke dragged them both to the tent. The young teen was placed down, as they worked on his bleeding side. He held the girl and watched the boy as he passed out. Yusuke looked down and said very softly, "Hi Marie." The girl had long black hair which was fastened in a braid. Her eyes were open and they were a light blue. He put his hand over her eyelids, and closed them.  
  
He went to the portal his heart heavy, and placed her inside. He waited for a Shinigami to show up, and a young man appeared. Like Boeton he had blue hair. He took the girl away, and Yusuke was left standing there.  
  
"I don't want to die here." He murmured.  
  
And with that made his way slowly back to the trench where his friends were giving it all. And as he passed the young teen, he saw a Healer shake her head. And they carried the boy to the portal.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dun Dun Dun! So...I have begun another one. This in my humble opinion rox! Or at least it has been great to write! Okay...  
  
PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER: Hiei gets mothered by a Healer, and Kuwabara does something noble and brave, but stupid as well...see ya next time! 


	2. Fire Flies

Kuwabara hissed angrily as he heard another Reikai call out and make a gurgling sound with death. He turned leaving his friends to find who ever died. He found a demon girl, and picked her up.   
  
Her arm was missing.   
  
He rushed her to a Healer, who automatically took her to the portal. Kuwabara went over to the side and wretched.   
  
"Are you all right?" A young woman asked softly. Kuwabara nodded and walked away. As soon as he left the shield a blast took him by surprise. A bright blast accelerated at him, and smashed into his head, a large bang filling the air, and he fell down. Yusuke had seen the whole thing and called out Kuwabara's name.   
  
He ran to his friend and to his surprise saw him sit up. "Ow..." There was burned mark on his helmet. Yusuke let out a relieved sigh. "You bas*ard! Be more careful!" Kuwabara smiled, and held up his thumb. "Sorry man. I panicked. Almost lost my head there."  
  
"That wasn't funny. That was the worst pun I ever heard!"  
  
They returned to Kurama's and Hiei's side. "Hiei, you look pale. You should go take yourself to the Healers." Hiei glared at him, "I can handle a bleeding shoulder." Kurama's eyes narrowed, "If you don't goto the Healers right now, I'll feed you to my plants." Hiei looked at his stern angry face and knew he was serious. He let out an agitated sigh, and went over to the Healer's stepping within their shield, and watched as someone, who looked near death, was hauled towards a tent.  
  
He stepped further in, looking pissed, when a lady came over to him. She was pleasantly plump, with graying black hair, and green eyes. She looked to be in her early forties. She smiled at him and laughed, "Well young'en, I've never seen a demon pout!"  
  
Hiei growled, ears red,"I'm not pouting!" The woman laughed ant took his uninjured arm and dragged him to a table. "My names Mali. You?" Hiei starred at her suspiciously and muttered, "Hiei."  
  
"Well, Young'en that's a fine name."   
  
"I'm not a young'en."   
  
"You look like one."  
  
"I'm your senior by at least a thousand years!"  
  
"Wow, you look good for your age!"  
  
Mali gave a loud laugh, and for some reason, Hiei couldn't help but smile. For some reason he liked this woman. It took him a moment to figure out why. This woman's spirit reminded him of his mothers, which surprised him. He never met his mother...had he?  
  
He then noticed she was healing his arm, white light illuminating the wound, and it making the slow process of closing. Eventually she put her hands down, and the light was gone. "You see Hiei, Healers have spirit power, but use it in a different way." Hiei nodded and tried to get up. "No. You have to rest for at least 10 minutes!"  
  
Hiei slapped her hand away, and got off the table to find himself collapsing. Mali caught him laughing merrily. "You silly young'en!" Hiei growled, and she laughed harder. "Just like my boy!" She said smiling as she picked him up like he was nothing, and placed him on table.   
  
"Where is your son? Home?"  
  
Mali's eyes softened and she pointed to a 16 year old boy with black hair, who was being placed inside the portal. His young face made him think of Mali's and he looked at her. He couldn't find it in himself to apologize, but she ruffled his hair. He glared at her.  
  
"10 minutes. Then you can go." Hiei suddenly blurted out, "Can I come to visit you?" Mali smiled widely, and said, "I'd like that very much." She walked off and Hiei wrestled with his thoughts. Why had he offered to come back?  
  
~She makes you think of the mother you never knew~  
  
Hiei ignored the voice in his head, but the voice remained repeating those words. He growled and muttered, "I am not getting soft!"  
  
~~~****~~~~  
  
Kuwabara was leaning against the trench panting tiredly. "You!" He turned to look at his left, to see a demon with golden hair, and silver eyes. A young 13 year old girl at his side. She had lime green hair, and scared blue eyes. "Yeah?"  
  
"We need your help. Please. She's got this power that will wipe out many of the demons, but we can't get close enough on our own!"   
  
Kuwabara looked at Kurama and Yusuke who were having their own problems. He looked back at them and nodded stiffly. "I'll come. I'll come...I'm Kuwabara." He offered his hand and the Demon shook it. "I'm Yuki." "I'm Hope." The girl chirped, Kuwabara ruffled her hair smiling, "Yeah you are." She smiled, and he and Yuki watched for an opportunity to risk running closer to the demons.   
  
"How far do we need to get to them?" Kuwabara asked wiping his dirty face. "At least half way." Yuki replied. Hope nodded, then I can use my attack, and it's a whole lot stronger with this bracelet thing." She held up her arm, showing the same bracelet as everyone else.  
  
'That's pretty dam* risky...Half way? Man!' Kuwabara thought, the saliva in his throat building up.  
  
Kuwabara's eyes darted, and a section of the demon's trenches were blown up. That was the distraction the three needed. "Now!" Yuki grabbed Hope and began running, Kuwabara in the lead. He made his sword wider using it as a shield.   
  
As they rushed forward, the dirt and smoke clouded their vision. Hope clung to her protector tightly, Yuki whispering soft gentle words to her.  
  
"Hey whose that?" A demon near Yusuke whispered.   
  
"The girl's Hope! I know her!"  
  
"Who are the other two?"   
  
"A demon and some human!"  
  
Yusuke looked out and saw the three figures the people were talking about. Hiei joined him and Kurama, his ten minutes up and he immediately cried, "WHAT THE HELL IS KUWABARA DOING!?" Yusuke looked at him his mouth open wide. "*That's* Kuwabara?!" Kurama gasped and starred out at them, "Why are they getting closer?"  
  
"KUWABARA!" Yusuke shouted trying to leap out over the trench, but Kurama and Hiei held him back. "No don't! You'll be killed!" "NO! KUWABARA!"  
  
Kuwabara stopped running as he heard a cry of pain. He turned back and found Yuki laying on the ground, a hole in his leg. The hole was wide, but clean, blood pouring quickly out of it.  
  
Hope was crying holding her hand on the wound, blood spurting out between her fingers. "Don't die!" She sobbed. He reached over and pulled on her ear. "You lit...little brat...jus...just a flesh wound!" "Liar!"   
  
Kuwabara approached them and with his spirit sword began to dig a hole. Blasts were shooting by his ears and he felt a burning sensation on his neck. He growled and finally he had a deep enough hole. He grabbed Yuki and dragged him over into it.  
  
"Stay low and they won't get you. Try to give us cover." Yuki looked up at Kuwabara, respect shining in his eyes. "Take care of Hope, and I'll take care of my...myself." Kuwabara ripped off his pant leg and handed it to him. "Bandage your leg with this. I'd do it, but we don't have time!" Kuwabara didn't hear his reply, scooped up Hope and began running on.  
  
"Stop! This is close enough!" Hope said, and he placed her down, as he did, a sharp spear went through his shoulder. "AHHG!" He grabbed onto it, Hope's eyes wide. "Do what your gonna do. I got this."  
  
Hope turned and raised her hands, the wind picking up. She hummed, and her hands began to glow, wind spinning around her clasped hands.   
  
"Spirit...SLASH!"   
  
A whole wave of energy wiped out the first two rows of demons, and scattered their bodies backwards, smashing into the living. "Ha! I did it" Hope smiled, turning to Kuwabara who had successfully pulled out the spear. He gave her the thumbs up sign, and she would have returned it, but out of nowhere, a streak of electricity showered Hope's body.  
  
She screamed, and went limp on the ground.  
  
"DA*M YOU BAS*ARDS!" Kuwabara yelled with malice imbedded in his words. Which wasn't the smartest thing to do, for once the words left his mouth, he heard angry roars, and fiery blasts poured down on them. Kuwabara scooped up Hope and began to run, and felt something hot go through his leg and out the other.   
  
He cried with intense pain, and fell on one knee. He saw his blood soak up his pant leg, but he couldn't stop. He got up, stumbled, and continued his running. "YUKI!" Kuwabara screamed, as he neared the hole he'd dug. "Kuwabara! Hope is she okay?!" Yuki was pale with pain and blood loss. "She's alive, she'll be okay, I think." Yuki looked up at him. "Leave me here...Go on..sa-" Kuwabara grabbed Yuki and threw him on his shoulder, and held Hope in his other arm.   
  
"I've seen plenty of movies, so I know what your going to say! So don't you say it!"  
  
"NO ONES DYING TODAY!" He shouted over the roar of noise. Kuwabara began to run, and felt something go through his side, he faltered, but he kept running on. His blood dripping was loud in his ears. They were the sounds of puddles, when children splashed in them.  
  
As Kuwabara neared the trench with the two tucked under his arm, and over another, he felt something hot, and sharp go through his chest. He watched as it split the dust and the air, and then turn to several sparkles, as if it were fire flies. Blood came out in a tiny red fog, and he blinked.   
  
"How'd it go through me..." Kuwabara asked, as his senses began to shut down.  
  
He felt nothing, and heard nothing. He kept running, a white fog blurring his vision. He tripped over the trench and went tumbling down losing his grip on Hope and Yuki. Yusuke appeared in front of him, his eyes moist. He could just barely make him out through the fog.  
  
Yusuke lifted his best friend into his lap. He starred in horror at all the red dyeing his clothes...there were so many holes. How many hits had he taken? Kuwabara grunted with pain, and Yusuke's thoughts broke. He looked down, listening to his friend as energy blasts flashed brightly, and sounded loudly over his head.  
  
"Ur...Urameshi..." He coughed, blood spraying Yusuke's face, and his own. Kuwabara raised his hand, and Yusuke took it. "We...too...took care of a l...lot of dem...d...demons." "I know...I know I saw." Yusuke rubbed Kuwabara's sweaty brow, removing his helmet.   
  
Kuwabara's eyes drifted down to his chest where the hole was, it was tiny, as if a beebee had come out of his chest. But it bubbled with red blood. It was so unreal...he really felt no pain anymore. Just a numbing cold. He looked back up at Yusuke, and raised his hand and pat Yusuke's face. Smearing a red finger print on Yusuke's cheek.  
  
"We di...did good." Kuwabara sighed.  
  
And his hand fell limply on the ground.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
ooo....CLIFFY....their will be lots o' these! PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPPI: Will Kuwabara recover, as his body is thrown into a fit of pain? And Hiei must take a life of and innocent to save the innocent. 


	3. Danny

Aww spring break...ah...yes.My school is so weird...are spring break is later than everyone else's. Oh well...MORE WRITING TIME!  
  
Mali turned to see Hiei coming back towards her, she smiled "Injure your self so soon?" But she stopped smiling when she saw a small girl in his arms. Kurama was behind him, helping Yuki walk. Yusuke had Kuwabara on his back, and was hurrying to the Healers.   
  
"Hey! We got three coming in! Gravely wounded! Over here now!" Mali shouted turning her head. Several people rushed to her, and when the others entered, they pulled the injured in their arms, with extreme care. Mali guided Yusuke to a table, where she helped him lay Kuwabara down. She looked at Yusuke seeing all the blood that was dyed on him, and then at Kuwabara's.  
  
"You'll give me your clothes later so I can clean them."  
  
Hiei was the only one not confused about this comment, he had been with Mali already. He knew what to expect.  
  
"You gotta save him! He saved our lives!" Yuki babbled. Mali nodded at Yuki, and turned to Kuwabara. She placed her hands over him, the light Hiei had seen before coming back. "I can't do this alone! Hey, someone come over here!" She snapped. A young demon approached, and aided her, the same white light coming from his hands. A young man came over as well, joining them in trying to close Kuwabara's wounds.  
  
Yusuke stood frozen, watching a numb feeling washing over the blood in his body. He didn't feel Kurama's hand on his back, or hear Hiei talking to him.   
  
He only saw Kuwabara.   
  
He only saw the sweat dripping off his brow, and his head turning from side to side, as if trying to shake something off. His hands clenching and unclenching, and the slight arch of his back he made if anyone touched his skin.   
  
Kuwabara's eyes fluttered open and he let out a scream. Mali sighed, "That's a good sign...If he'd woken up, and wasn't screaming, then we would be in trouble." Kuwabara moaned with pain, and Yusuke came over to him, gripping his friend's hand. Kuwabara squeezed tightly in immense pain. "Ur..Ura..." "Shh everything's gonna be okay Kuwabara..." Yusuke said softly.  
  
Kuwabara shuddered and Mali called over her shoulder, "We're losing him, he's having a seizure! Get something to tie him down with!" Yusuke's, Kurama's, and Hiei's eyes went wide.   
  
Kurama and Hiei tried to get closer, but Mali told them, "I know your worried, but its best if you stay back! You too." She turned to Yusuke, but faltered in her words seeing an equal amount of pain in his face. She sighed, and told the others to work around him.   
  
A man brought out tape, and wrapped the tape around Kuwabara's body, and then the table. "URAMESHI!" Kuwabara cried out, as he began to have horrible tremors. Yusuke felt tears prickle in his eyes. His mind was racing, random thoughts entering his head, such as why they would use tape to keep Kuwabara down.  
  
(a.n. it works if it's a special type of tape.)  
  
Yusuke was bent over him, tears threatening to spill out his eyes, "Your...Your going to be fine! I'm right here! Kuwabara, I'm right here!" He was stroking Kuwabara's face, and running his hand through his hair. Kuwabara was moaning with pain, and tears sped down his face. His head turned towards Yusuke, or at least where he heard his voice, and pressed his brow to Yusuke's arm. "Ur...ra..me...." Kuwabara whimpered.  
  
Next to him Hope was screaming as she was being healed. It seemed as if the electricity was being ripped out of her body. Tears were flying off her face, and the screams were painful to one's ears. Yuki's wound was being healed, and he did not cry out with pain. His eyes were glued on Hope, and he was gripping onto the table, his knuckles white.  
  
"The very serious wounds are the ones that hurt the most as we heal them." Mali said talking to the worried friends, as if trying to calm them down, though she could not see the fear on their eyes. Yusuke was crying and he let out a shuddering sigh as Kuwabara went limp. Mali and the other Healer's let out a sigh, sweat dampening their faces.   
  
"He'll be okay. He can't go back to the battlefield, for a while," Mali looked out, "but it looks like everything will be fine, maybe by tomorrow even." She looked over at the battlefield and gave a tiny smile, "It seems We're calling it a day for the war, as well as collecting the dead."  
  
The three turned around and looked out at the battlefield. Everyone had ceased fighting and, several people had gone out to collect the bodies which had been blown away. Yusuke turned away and looked back to Kuwabara. Mali touched his shoulder, "Don't worry. He'll be fine. He's stable now. Everything is okay now. He's resting, you should rest too."  
  
Mali beckoned another demon, and both of them placed him in a cot, tucking covers around him. Yusuke followed him and sat by him, Mali resting her hand on his shoulder, "He's going to be okay."  
  
Yusuke looked up at her, and in a cracking voice asked, "Can I stay?" Mali smiled sadly at him and pulled up another cot, placing it right by Kuwabara's, and got them as close together as she could. She walked off and came back with a blanket and covered Yusuke up. She smiled, and chuckled, "As long as You sleep I don't care what you do." Yusuke nodded a thankful smile on his face, and quickly fell asleep next to Kuwabara.  
  
Night had not fallen yet, but Yusuke still slept the same, with his hand in Kuwabara's. Kurama looked at Yuki who was sitting up, the hole in his leg fixed. Hope was no longer being healed, but sleeping as well. She was drowning in the covers placed over her, looking younger than she really was.   
  
Yuki looked over at her. "You know...she's the only human on our team. Most of the human's are at least a fraction of a demon." Kurama smiled. "Kuwabara is completely human as well."  
  
"Out of a thousands of us there are only 52 pure blooded humans." Yuki said still watching Hope, "They must be considered the strongest in their world."  
  
Yuki smiled and nodded towards Kuwabara, "He will be okay?" "Yes, that stubborn human, can't seem to die." Hiei snorted. "What about Hope?" Kurama asked looking over at her. "She has a fever, and needs to rest...but she'll be fine." Yuki smiled, and looked at them sadly. "She and I are the only one's left out of a team of seven." Hiei and Kurama starred at him, and saw the pain and torment there. "My brother, my best friend, gone. Her best friend, gone...It seems that this war is taking everyone away."  
  
"They'll come back. When Koenma heals, he'll bring them all back. He promised."  
  
"We've been fighting for almost a month!" Yuki snapped bitterly.  
  
Kurama nodded, "I know...but You saw him like we did...he was dying...he won't recover soon. He used so much of his power." Yuki sighed and laid down. "I just want to see my friend's again...my family..."  
  
Hiei starred at him for a bit, then turned and left, sparing a last look at Yusuke and Kuwabara. "Come. We better find the dead." Kurama nodded and pat Yuki's shoulder, following Hiei.  
  
~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~  
  
Hiei and Kurama walked around the trenches, seeing if their were any bodies to be found. They had found several, others took them to the portal so that they may continue their search. They found a few that were still alive, and they were rushed to the Healers.   
  
"I'm going this way." Kurama said walking further down. Hiei continued to search around the area he was in, and found a 14 year old demon. His face was bloody, as was his shirt, dirt smeared his body, and Hiei wasn't sure if the boy had a hand or not, it just looked like a bloody stub. Hiei reached down, and the child's eyes opened.   
  
"Your alive..."   
  
The boy had brown eyes and blonde hair. He opened his mouth, blood gurgling out. Once it stopped he choked, "Pl...Please...Ki..kill me." Hiei blinked with surprise. He leaned down and tried to pick him up, the boy crying out. He looked under the boy, seeing several spikes in his back, keeping him pinned down to the earth. He would never be able to remove them or cut them off without killing the young boy.  
  
"Plea...please...." The boy whispered.   
  
"What's your name?" Hiei asked softly.  
  
"D...Danny."  
  
Hiei pulled out his sword, "Danny this won't hurt...I won't let it hurt." "May I hold your...your hand?" Hiei blinked at the request, not accustomed to hearing a demon say that request. Danny looked at him with pleading eyes, and Hiei nodded. He took the child's hand and brought the blade down; the child sighed smiling as he died. The pain no longer there.   
  
Hiei pulled the demon boy free, several chunks of his flesh stuck in the spikes. He held the boy to him, and realized that he really was a child. 14 years was like a day for a demon. This demon boy hadn't even been given a chance.  
  
For once, Hiei wished he was not in this fight. Normally he was thrilled fighting, killing, the rush of adrenaline. But something about seeing children dying was disturbing him. He did not like human children, or children in general, they were annoying to him. He loathed them...but he'd been here so long and had held many people as they died. Human and demon alike, young and old, male and female...there were so many faces in his mind...  
  
He came to the conclusion, that he had felt something stir in his emotions, no matter how much he denied it.  
  
He didn't want children to die. He didn't want the people around him to die. He didn't want to see another girl cry out as her brother was killed. He didn't want to see a teen reach for his best friend, who lay sprawled on the ground arms and legs missing. He didn't want to see Yusuke holding onto Kuwabara, as he cried out, fighting for his life. He didn't want to lose them.  
  
He didn't want to lose Kurama.  
  
"Danny your okay now...." Hiei buried his nose in the blonde boy's hair, "Your okay."  
  
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la...sadder than I remembered...PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER: Kurama thinks about what all has taken place. And he figures out what scares him the most about this war. 


	4. Standing Watch

alrighty didey...need to 'splain stuff. This fic is one of those special fics where you can take the relationships either way. Yaoi or not. Like my other fic Three Tests, it will have two sequels. One Yaoi, and one not. Okay then...  
  
...  
  
I HAVE THE YUYU HAKUSHO CD!! *skipping with joy*  
  
Kurama yawned, and stretched his arms. He was on the fourth and final watch of the night. At least 12 people had to be up and watch out for demons. Hiei had taken 3rd watch, and now Kurama was taking his turn. He looked over at where the demons were, and wondered if they had guards as well.  
  
His thoughts dwelled on his mother who thought he was away for a business trip. He hated to deceive her, but he couldn't tell her he was going to war to fight demons, now could he? Kurama had his own place with Hiei, now that he was 17, in his human years. The Youko side of him grew impatient and popped out more often. There was one good thing Kurama was grateful for, his Youko side loved his mother. just as much as he loved her. It was very confusing to have another subconscious trapped inside your body.  
  
Hiei and Kurama where always together so they figured it'd be okay to live together. They had become best friends no matter how much Hiei denied it, so it just made since for them to live together. Hiei was always doing stupid things, taking on demons to calm his mind, but sometimes they were too much for him. There had been many occasions when they had to rely on Kuwabara's spiritual awareness to track him down.  
  
Hiei and Kurama did not work, there was no need, Hiei could force tears and they sold the gems which provided them with more money than anyone could dream of getting in a year. Kurama was sworn to secrecy, and promised not to reveal the secret. He'd often wondered though, what'd be like to "accidentally" spill the beans to Kuwabara and Yusuke...  
  
Kurama knew Yusuke had at first worked with Keiko, but got bored with the noodle business, and opened his own Dojo at Genkai's place, and though Genkai wouldn't admit it, she loved having the children there.   
  
The children would always greet her with a hug, and they respected her with the tough love she gave them. She went easy on the 10 year olds and under, but if you were older, the had to endure what Yusuke had taught them. She did not work with them all the time though, only when Yusuke had to go on a mission.  
  
With Yusuke away, Kurama was almost certain, all the children were worried about him.  
  
Kuwabara went to college, and he'd decided to become an English teacher. He told Kurama of how the teacher's treated all of them bad, and Kurama was appalled to hear what this teacher called Mr. Akashi had done to Kuwabara when he was just 14. Kurama asked him why in the world would he want to become a teacher, when his teachers were so cruel. Kuwabara laughed and said, "I want to make sure my students know that though there other teachers may not be kind, but at least one can."  
  
Kuwabara always said what he felt, though he didn't know it. He was doing what he always did, told the truth. He said very wise things, at times. Yusuke and Kuwabara lived together so that Kuwabara wouldn't have to pay his own way, for he had to focus all his attention for his studies. Kurama and Hiei had often wondered if they loved each other. Though...Kuwabara and Yusuke probably wondered the same thing about him and Hiei.  
  
He looked up at the sky. There were no stars, only a pale moon. "How do we survive all this...Mother...I'm coming home..." He closed his eyes and looked around him. Hiei was wrapped up in his cloak, eyes closed. Most of the others had been given blankets and were snuggled in them.  
  
His eyes rest on two young humans, and a demon. One was a girl with a black braid, and the boy had shaggy brown hair. They were curled up on a demon. He had his arms protectively around them, and they all slept peacefully. Kurama had seen this team before. There were eight in all. Now only three remained.  
  
He shifted his eyes to the beasts Boeton had brought them. There were only four, but they were large. They resembled a dragon, except completely covered in white silvery fur. They were meant for surprise attacks on the enemies. Their wings were like the inside of a clam. smooth and a creamy white. Their eyes were strange. One eye was gold, and the other silver.   
  
Kurama had been amused to see several people giggle and pet them, for the beasts were very friendly. It made Kurama feel better to see people smile. Kurama had been greatly amused to see Hiei go up to them, and stroke them. Hiei had smirked and told Kurama, "The bests may look all cuddly and nonsense like that, but they are very powerful."  
  
Kurama wasn't sure what they were called, but he'd laughed as he heard young humans and young demons try to come up with names for them. His favorite was the Furry Dragon's.   
  
No one had ridden one yet.  
  
The creatures the demons used, were for demons who couldn't who fly. Spies had seen the demons gather these beasts. They were actually a lower type of demons, that was as mindless as a troll. They had no thoughts, except to obey their masters, and to kill. Kurama knew the names of these creatures, they had been dubbed "Venom." To touch their skin unprotected, meant for a dreadful poison to enter your skin.  
  
Kurama snapped out of his thoughts as he heard sound. The other guard closest to him was moving about as well. Something was wrong. Kurama stiffly waited hand glowing ready for an attack.  
  
A young teen emerged, he blushed and whispered, "Sorry I was taking a leak." Kurama blinked and burst our with laughter. The other guard was laughing as well, and the bumbling teen went off, heading back to his sleeping bag.  
  
Kurama finally stopped his chuckling and looked up at the stars.   
  
He felt an eerie feeling brush over his skin. Like something was going to happen to him. He sat there and wondered what could he be feeling. Something cold had gripped at his heart, and was letting it self be known. It warned Kurama something was to become of him. Maybe not soon...but eventually. Something was coming for him.  
  
Kurama wasn't worried what it was.  
  
He was worried when it was coming.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~la...luv this chappie...okei   
  
PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER: Okay, the heat of battle is on again.Yusuke swipes a Furry Dargon to face the demons. But in the end, he plummits for the ground....why? You'll have to read to find out. 


	5. Ribbion

Kurama slept on, dead to the world, a very impatient and bored Hiei waiting for him to wake. "Kurama..." He growled. The fox, just simply refused to wake. Yusuke was standing there laughing, eating hid breakfast. At his side was Kuwabara.  
  
Kuwabara, had made a quick recovery, but then again, he'd always been like that. He'd been a quick healer almost his whole life. Especially now fighting all the demons.  
  
His leg was still bandaged up, being his worst injury. One of the blasts had nearly gone through his knee cap. Yusuke has smacked him around a bit as well, as soon as he woke up. Mali found this interesting, Kuwabara just found it painful.  
  
"Why don't you kick him?" Kuwabara suggested.  
  
Hiei glared at him, "Like I'd take advice from you..."  
  
Kuwabara glared at him, and Hiei bent down covering Kurma's mouth and nose.  
  
"You know that could kill him..." Yusuke said eyebrows raised. The tactic worked, and Kurama sprang up gasping for air, his friends laughing their heads off.   
  
"Kuwabara!" he gasped  
  
Kurama smiled. "It's good to see you. Are you feeling better?" Before Kuwabara could answer, Kurama smacked Hiei in the shin, the demon swearing, and holding his leg.  
  
Kuwabara smiled and replied, "Much better, you know me, I'm invincible!"  
  
"Your just lucky." Hiei hmphed.  
  
"OH YEA-" Before Kuwabara's sentence was finished, right in the center of their group, an energy bomb the size of a football was dropped. They all went flying in different directions.   
  
The battle had begun.  
  
Kuwabara went flying crashing into a group of demons. He had gone momentarily deaf, and held his ears, eyes wide. A blue demon woman, with webbed fingers came over to him. She stroked his face soothingly, to calm him down, as all sorts of attacks crashed over their heads.  
  
Yusuke had been flung high in the air, and crashed into the food crates, shattering them, his arms bleeding, as well as his leg. "Dam*...no ones gonna this food...." He joked before passing out.   
  
Kurama and Hiei had been flung into the trench, and looked up. "They're using those dam*ed Venom beasts!" Hiei swore. Kurama dropped his head back down, and his eyes went wide. "GIRL MOVE!"  
  
Hiei looked down and saw a girl, maybe 12 or 13 look at Kurama. "What?" As soon as that word came out of her mouth, another energy bomb fell from the sky on top of her. Their was a twisted scream, and the sound of crackling skin.  
  
"Oh God!" Hiei and Kurama scurried to her, and starred at the body. It was nothing but a charred corpse. It didn't even look human. A demon approached eyes wide, body shaking.   
  
"Candy...CANDY?!" The demon kept trying to touch her, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Kurama grabbed his shoulder, looking at the man with sympathy. The demon swallowed down the lump lodged in his throat and He picked up the corpse. He marched slowly to the medical section, Kurama and Hiei noticing several people with bodies like the girl's, being brought over there.  
  
"Hiei we got to kill those things!" Kurama growled, and he began shooting upwards. There were others doing the same thing, so he was not alone in this task. "Kurama look there!" Hiei pointed upwards and Kurama gasped at what he saw.   
  
Yusuke and a young girl had swiped the Furry Dragons and rode into the sky, attacking the Venom monsters and the riders.  
  
"Da*mit! He so fu*king rash!" Hiei swore angrily.  
  
~*~*~   
  
Kuwabara meanwhile stood side by side with the demon girl, named Tanee, and fight by her side. Kuwabara had gotten his hearing back, and fired away at the demons.  
  
A cold shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly looked up. He grabbed Tanee and flung himself back, a s a red angry blast fell from the sky. He protected the girl, as they rolled around, finally coming to a stop when they crashed into an older man.  
  
"Are you all right?!" He cried shocked. He lifted the younger man up, as well as Tanee. "Yeah...I'm gonna puke but I'm okay!" Kuwabara wheezed.  
  
He looked up and his heart stopped as he saw Yusuke up in the sky. "Oh man..." He turned his head back to two behind him, "My friend is up there...gotta go!" Kuwabara took of following his best friend's path in the sky.  
  
If Yusuke needed help, he'd be there.  
  
In the air Yusuke cursed as more and more demons came. The more you killed, the faster they came. "Hey guy!" He turned to see the girl. She had short black hair, that barely went past her ears, and blue eyes.   
  
"Your Dragon's injured! Get him fixed up, or he'll drop from the sky like a stone."   
  
"Thanks, I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
She smiled, and waved her hand, "Don't worry I can ta-" She was silenced as a square shaped blast went through her gut. "Well...I...I guess I ca...can't take care...take care of myself." She smiled, and toppled over sideways, spiraling downwards towards the ground.  
  
Yusuke grabbed his Dragon's ears and direct the great white beast to go downwards. He caught the girl, and she starred up at him. She would blink and her eyes would be fine, blink again and they were dead.  
  
"Find...Find Mace...Tell him..." She cried out as blood spurted further out her gut. "Tell him...Krist...Kristy..."  
  
"I'll tell him you fought hard as you sleep this off." Kristy smiled, she shook her head, knowing the only sleep she'd be getting would be permanent, She whispered, "I want to go home Guy...I want to go home." She smiled sadly tears rolling down her face, and the bitter sad smile froze on her lips.   
  
Yusuke looked at the ground, as the dragons began to hum a strange beautiful melody...something he'd heard before....  
  
He exchanged Dragon's with the girl, and placed Kristy on the injured demon. "Take her down." The Dragon understood and took off downwards. Yusuke looked down at the furry dragon, and whispered, "Lets get them...Lets get them for your master.  
  
The elegant, beautiful beast roared, and they were immediately in battle.  
  
After several hours the sky was clear, and the fighting slowly beginning to stop.   
  
Yusuke was drenched with sweat, and his eyes felt heavy. He held onto the fur of the beast, he was afraid he'd topple over. But that was the least of his worries. Something cut though his side, and he screamed.  
  
Craning his neck he saw a demon headed right for him. Yusuke's Dragon was unable to turn around fast enough, and Yusuke's eyes widened as the large blast raced for him.  
  
Without a warning, an orange tipped lengthy blast went through the demon's head destroying him. Yusuke looked down and saw Kuwabara waving. Yusuke flew down to yelling distance and shouted, "YOU PIECE OF CRAP!"  
  
"YOU NEED TO WATCH YOU HIDE URAMESHI! IT ALMOST GOT BLOWN OFF!"  
  
The two were both smiling. Yusuke smirked, "WATCH YOUR OWN DUMB HIDE!"  
  
Kuwabara didn't respond as he took aim at another demon who snuck up behind Yusuke. Yusuke turned to see it blow to bits, and then turned back. Yusuke saw Kuwabara still had his hand raised, and just as he was going to lower it, a blast cut through his arm at the joint.  
  
"KUWABARA!!!"  
  
Kuwabara's eyes had gone wide, as a ribbon of blood shot out his arm. The ribbon wrapped around the earth, around people, around clothes, and around his arm. Lastly it wrapped around his face.  
  
The only thing keeping his arm attached, was the muscle and skin of his arm that it hung on. He fell over, and a demon rushed over to Kuwabara, keeping his arm connected to his body.  
  
Many others came over, and Kuwabara looked up at Yusuke.  
  
Even from this height, Yusuke could see the smile of reassurance.   
  
"NOOOOO!! KUWABARA!!" Just as Yusuke began to guide the dragon down, he felt something sharp hit his head, and he went limp.  
  
His body and mind falling into total darkness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
What do ya know...another cliffy? Okay then...PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER: Ok hint, remember that hum the Dragon'd did. *REMEMBER* it. In fact write it down or sumtin' In the next chapter, Yusuke get's the message to Mace...and as for Kuwabara nothin' happens *coughamputatecough* c ya ~_0 


	6. Little Kazuma

"Yu..."  
  
...  
  
"Yus..."  
  
...  
  
"Yusuke...wake up Hun!"   
  
Ugh.  
  
Yusuke's eyes fluttered open to see Mali's warm smile. "I was afraid we'd lose you...You were bleeding so much, we almost did." Mali laughed, "Good thing you have such a hard head!"  
  
"It's his own da*m fault..." Yusuke turned to see Hiei, and Kurama. Hiei was glaring at him. Yusuke smiled groggily. "Sorry to scare you darling." Hiei growled, while Kurama laughed. Kurama grabbed him as Hiei raised his fist to smack him. There was a bandage on his forehead, and dried blood could be seen on it.   
  
"Is the battling done?"  
  
"No..just an intermission to collect the dead again."  
  
Yusuke's mind flashed to Kristy and he sat up. "I need to find a guy called Mace!"  
  
"That's my name." Yusuke turned to see a black haired, blue eyed man, maybe a bit older than him, getting his leg wrapped up. Yusuke swallowed. "Do you know a girl named Kristy?"  
  
Mace's face went bright, "You've seen her! Man I was so worried about her, that brat. She's my lil' sis"   
  
Yusuke felt his heart break.  
  
"She...She's dead...She died, killing the demon's flying overhead." Mace's face turned the color of ash, and he aged 10 years. His eyes turned dark and he said softly "Oh."   
  
"I'm-"   
  
"Thank you for telling me." Mace got up, even though his leg wasn't fully wrapped up, and walked off.   
  
"Poor man...everyone is losing someone here." Kurama said sorrowfully.  
  
Yusuke blinked, and then turned quickly looking at his friend's, "Where's Kuwabara!?"  
  
"Right here."   
  
Yusuke gave a relieved sigh, which ceased when he saw Kuwabara. Kuwabara had no arm. From the shoulder down his arm was gone. There was a bandage where his sleeve should be, and Yusuke couldn't help but stare. "No...Kuwabara." Yusuke was frozen, Kuwabara gave a gentle smile.  
  
"It was worth it saving you. Where would I be without my punching bag?" Kuwabara laughed, "Actually I'm more like *your* punching bag, eh?"  
  
Yusuke swallowed, and then...  
  
Kuwabara pushed his arm through his sleeve. There was a dark scar all the way around the joint of his arm. It almost looked as if his arm had been glued back together, like a plate when you broke it. He laughed, and ruffled Yusuke's hair, "Gotcha." Yusuke punched Kuwabara square in the gut, and dove on top of him. "YOU LOUSY PEACE OF SHI*!" Hiei burst out laughing, "Now this is funny!"  
  
After Yusuke stopped trying to kill Kuwabara, he sat on his waist and glared at him. "Never play that type of joke on me again!!" Yusuke looked at him sadly, "If you'd really gotten that seriously injured because of me...I don't think I could live with myself during this." Kuwabara winced guiltily. "I'm sorry." he apologized, looking really upset.  
  
Yusuke accepted the apology, yawned and laid down.  
  
"Urameshi, what the Hell you think your doing?"  
  
"Sleeping."  
  
"I know...but your on me."  
  
"I know."  
  
"GET OFF!"  
  
"Nah. Too comfortable."  
  
"URAMESHI..."  
  
"What? You got plenty of fat. Your a big fat pillow..."  
  
"URAMESHI I'M WARNING YOU!!"  
  
"Awww Yaoi..."  
  
Kuwabara and Yusuke both went bright red and shot up to glare at the laughing Mali.   
  
"Please help him!" A demon, with long furry ears, came running up. He was cradling a 13 year old boy, who suffered from many wounds.   
  
"You four, get along. Come back later! Find the wounded, and send them to us!"   
  
The four left, and starred around. It was awfully quiet when they took pauses between battling. "I wish this would end." Kurama suddenly stated. "I think we all do."   
  
Kuwabara sighed. "I'm gonna go."   
  
"Where?" Yusuke questioned.   
  
"I'm going to check up on the entire area, maybe some people where blown around."  
  
With that said Kuwabara took off. Kurama and Hiei looked out at the field ahead of the Trench, "We're going out there. Yusuke...you rest...your a little pale." Kurama touched his friend's shoulder, and he and Hiei took off together.  
  
Yusuke was left alone, and he knew just where he wanted to go. He walked until he found his destination, and found the two Furry Dragons. They both approached him, nuzzling him with their gigantic heads. "Hey...I guess you two saved me. Thank you." They gave out a low bellow, that was trapped in their throats. It sounded like a whale calling.   
  
So different then that pretty hum he had heard.  
  
He rubbed his face against the two's furry faces, and noticed a young boy tending to the third, which was the smallest of the three. This boy was exactly 10 years old.   
  
He couldn't be more than 10.   
  
There was no way.   
  
He had brown, almost blonde hair, and hazel eyes. He was running his finger's though the mane of the Dragon, while clutching a wallet.   
  
Yusuke approached him, and smiled at the young boy's sorrowful face. "Hey..."   
  
"Hey."   
  
"I'm Yusuke."   
  
The boy looked up at him with the saddest eyes Yusuke had ever seen. "I'm Kazuma." Yusuke laughed, "My best friend's name is Kazuma. What are you doing here...?"   
  
"Fighting." Yusuke frowned, "But your so young."  
  
"I know...but when this is over I won't remember it."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
The boy nodded, smiling just a bit, "Koenma will erase anyone's memories if they don't want them." Yusuke blinked, "Are you sure?" "Yes...I'm sure if I ask he'll do it. He has too...he has too!" Yusuke nodded, seeing the little boys' tears he didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. "May I keep talking with you?" Yusuke asked Kazuma with a smile. The boy smiled wider. "Yes." Yusuke rubbed his hair. "Good."  
  
"Yusuke sir, Are you and Kazuma...really close?"   
  
Yusuke smiled, "I'd die without him."   
  
Kazuma opened up a small wallet that looked battered and burned. He handed it to Yusuke. There were Three people in it. One was a 12 year old boy, with spiky red hair, and black eyes. The other two were demons. They were twins, with different color hair, and judging by their features, they were very young demons. On the other side of the wallet was another picture of Kazuma with the Red head boy. Kazuma was riding piggyback on the red head.  
  
"That's my best friend. His name is Yaiko. He could kick a soccer ball clear across the field. His favorite food was Broccoli, which id just wrong. He was always teased because of it. I've known him since I was born, because we're neighbors. He wants to be a Soccer player when he grows up, and wants me to by his side, though I'm not good at soccer." Kazuma was sobbing loudly now.   
  
"He's not here anymore. He was killed today, saving me."  
  
Yusuke pulled the kid into his arms, and little Kazuma hugged him. "Listen to me, your going to see him again. I know. You'll see him. My best friend, he has, on several occasions, saved me by taking blows for me. He even donated some of his life for me. Once, he let himself get stabbed right in the chest to save me. When your best friend's with someone, you try to protect them, and they do the same."  
  
"But they die saving you!" Kazuma sobbed.  
  
"But we'd die saving them, right?" The little boy nodded, and Yusuke pulled him away and knelt down. "Don't blame yourself, everything will be okay." "Yo! Urameshi!"  
  
Both of them turned to see Kuwabara. "Kazuma that's him." Kuwabara approached, and automatically ruffled the young boy's hair. "My goodness, your a brave boy." Kazuma blinked, "Huh?" Kuwabara smiled, "I know these things, trust me."   
  
"This is Kazuma." Yusuke said with a smile. "Well what do you know! That's my name too! Cool. But I go by my last name. So you can call me Kuwabara." Kuwabara held out his large hand, the small boys hand looking so small compared to his. Once they had shaken hands, Kuwabara scooped him up. "C'mon kiddo. Your hanging with us. We're getting you cleaned up and getting you something to eat. Hurry up Urameshi, your slower than my Grandma!"  
  
Yusuke laughed, and tagged behind. Kuwabara and Kazuma had immediately struck up a conversation, and Kazuma seemed to like being carried by Kuwabara. Yusuke smiled at his best friend. If Kuwabara really did die, Yusuke would lose complete control. But that wouldn't happen.  
  
But Yusuke isn't fate.  
  
And Fate decides what will happen in the end.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
la...no cliffy but dramatic sentence. did i worry you with the whole amputation thing...hee... PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER: Yusuke has night watch, and Kuwabara asks him a question. He gives the answer but that may or may not be correct, he is not fate. And as the night drags on...who knows what trouble he will face! 


	7. You Think We'll Die?

Yusuke yawned. He was on the 2nd watch duty. Their was a light drizzle, the rain making his skin moist, he gave off a slight shiver from the chill.   
  
Yusuke turned to look over at Hiei and Kurama, Kurama had grabbed a blanket that the healers had given out, and the two were curled up together. Hiei unwillingly of course, but Kurama wasn't going to have Hiei go sleep somewhere off where he was sure to freeze. Kurama had tried to give Hiei his own blanket, until finally, he realized if he wanted Hiei to be warm, he'd have to knock him out to di it.  
  
It was quite funny to watch...  
  
"Here Uramaeshi." A blanket was placed over Yusuke's head. He pulled it off, and looked next to him seeing Kuwabara, who'd done first watch. "Where ya' been?" Yusuke asked. "Oh, giving out blankets to the others on 2nd watch, didn't want them to freeze." Kuwabara smiled, and sat down next to his friend.  
  
Yusuke smiled, his friend seemed so selfless, "Go ahead and lye down. You stayed up for first watch and your tired. You need sleep, and to be warm." Yusuke pulled the blanket off and placed it on him. "No way Urameshi! You need this more than me!" Kuwabara kicked it off him, shoving it towards Yusuke. Yusuke shook his head. "Okay rest in my lap and we'll share the dam*ed thing! Now you happy?" Kuwabara nodded, and placed his head on Yusuke's lap.  
  
Kuwabara didn't lay fully in his lap, His head was on Yusuke's leg, and he lay on his back, looking up. He wasn't laying in front of Yusuke either, but to the left. Yusuke draped the blanket over the both of them, and rest his arm around Kuwabara's chest. Neith of them seemed to notice this.  
  
It had become a habit. To hold onto the ones they'd hate to lose.   
  
Yusuke often had to catch himself, from gripping onto his friends. He didn't want to lose them.  
  
"You think we'll die?"   
  
Yusuke's thoughts were interrupted by Kuwabara's question.  
  
"No." Yusuke said automatically.  
  
Kuwabara yawned, "If I die...I hope I'm not cold...I hate being cold." Yusuke laughed at his friend. "That's all you want? Not to be cold?" Kuwabara nodded, falling asleep. "I don't want to die cold...I really..really...don't." and he fell asleep.  
  
Yusuke shook his head and turned his head towards the soft drizzle. He covered himself and Kuwabara more. They'd been through a lot already. How was this all going to end? He looked over at the mass of people sleeping. Tomorrow over a quarter of them would be injured or dead.  
  
And half of that quarter would be someone's best friend. Yusuke gripped Kuwabara tighter.  
  
It was Yusuke's duty to make sure his friends didn't fall in with the dead category.  
  
"Heheheheh."  
  
A laugh?!  
  
Yusuke felt the hairs of his neck tickle.   
  
He turned.  
  
A scuff of leaves.  
  
A twig snapped.  
  
Someone was here....   
  
"THEY'RE ATTACKING!" Yusuke shouted for all to here, just as demons burst over their trench wall's. At once people were getting up in a hurry, and three people had taken the dragons in the sky, so that there only means of travel weren't killed.   
  
Yusuke was tackled by several demons, each one falling dead as soon as they touched him. "SPIRIT GUN! SPIRIT GUN! SHOT GUN!"  
  
Kuwabara barely had time to sit up, when a red demon, dropped from the sky. "KUWABARA MOVE!" Yusuke screamed, fighting his way towards his friend. Kuwabara scrambled to get up, but he was grabbed by his shirt and dragged in the air.   
  
Kurama and Hiei had gotten up, Kurama taking off to wake the younger Rekai who had not woken, all the while fighting off the monsters.  
  
"LET ME GO YOU AS*HOLE!" At the sound of Kuwabara's voice Hiei looked up. He spotted the demon in the air with Kuwabara, and leapt at it. Kuwabara was lucky it was only a few feet in the air, or Hiei may not have been able to get up to him in time.  
  
"TRAITOR! MOVE I HAVE A KILLING TO DO!" The demon roared at Hiei angrily, his claws ripping through Kuwabara's shirt. Kuwabara's eyes closed tightly, Hiei's calm face was lost, shocked one taking over. Had Kuwabara just been stabbed? Hiei growled and grabbed the demon's neck. "Shut...UP!" With a jerk he snapped the beast's neck.   
  
It gave a strangled cry, and fell backwards towards the ground. Hiei didn't have enough time to jump off of the body, and fell with the beast, and Kuwabara.  
  
The three fell from the sky at an alarming rate before landing with a crunch on the ground. Kuwabara pushed both heavy bodies off him, and muttered, "What a nice wake up call." Hiei glanced at Kuwabara, seeing nothing wrong, but a few scratches, and took off.  
  
Yusuke smashed his fists into a beasts head. He couldn't tell his own from them. It was too dark...they were all fighting blind. Yusuke looked around, and he was sure people were in the same dilema. An idea sparked in his mind and Yusuke ran towards the wooden food crates.   
  
A demon grabbed him, and with an angry cry he flung him off. "NOT THE TIME BUDDY!" He was about to shoot him when he saw he had the same uniform on as him. Both of them looked shocked.   
  
They were on the same side.  
  
"I didn't know..." The demon gasped.  
  
"I know."  
  
Yusuke shook off the shock and ran for the crates. He pushed all the empty crates he could find down the sloping hill, and with a well aimed spirit gun lit them on fire. The crates caught quickly giving off such a light, that the whole trench was lit up with light. Not enough like day, but enough so that they could tell uniforms apart.  
  
Now they would be able to identify enemy from comrades. "Ye-" Yusuke was tackled once again and felt teeth sink into his neck. He froze feeling paralyzed, as he heard a sucking sound. His skin went cold, turning white, and foam began to come out his mouth. His senses began to fade away, he wasn't sure what was going on. This felt worse then dying...  
  
"YUSUKE!"  
  
The teeth were no longer in his neck, and Hiei was over him. Yusuke struggled to keep his wits with him, but soon found himself unaware of anything, though his eyes were open.  
  
Hiei held Yusuke in his arms. Hiei watched him, foam was coming out his mouth, and his eyes were beginning to roll into the back of his head. His body shook violently, and Hiei had to hold him down.   
  
"Yusuke! Come on!"   
  
Hiei shook him, as his friend's body became consumed with tremors.  
  
"Stop!"   
  
Hiei looked up to see a girl rushing forward. She grabbed a piece of wood, that had not been caught in the fire. "Open his mouth!" Hiei blinked, but obeyed, if she could stop this then he'd listen. She broke off as much wood as she could from the piece, cracking open her hand at one point.  
  
When she had a small piece she nodded, and looked at Yusuke. She placed her uninjured hand in his mouth making sure his tongue was away from his throat and placed the wood in his mouth. She pulled out her hand, and Hiei released Yusuke's mouth, his teeth biting down on the wood.   
  
"Quickly, to the healers!" The girl grabbed Hiei, and the two made their way back to the Healers, with a shaking Yusuke in Hiei's arms. "Danton! Danton!" The girl cried once inside the Healer's shield. A demon with green hair appeared, and immediately grabbed Yusuke. "Poison, or natural?" "He was bitten, poison." Hiei responded instantly.   
  
"I got him, good job kid, you got him here just in time." The girl twitched, "I'm not a kid!" Danton ignored her, a smile on his face, and continued with his work on Yusuke.   
  
"How did you know what to do?"  
  
She turned to Hiei and he fully took her in. She had large blue eyes, and tangled red orange hair. She was pail, and you could not tell the dried mud or the dried blood apart, for it was so heavily smeared on her skin. "Danton here is a friend of mine, I've seen him heal all the time. He just can't remember I'm not a kid!"  
  
She smirked holding out her hand, "I'm Keely."  
  
Hiei nodded, not bothering to give his name.  
  
She smiled sweetly at him, pulling back her hand, and took off back into battle.  
  
Hiei watched, and went off into the other direction.  
  
Kuwabara growled angrily as bulging arms strangled him. "Da...m*...it..." The arms held his head down, and other arms held his feet down. He heard laughter as he was kicked roughly into the gut. "Urg...Urg!" He cried out painfully.   
  
"LET GO UGLY!" Kuwabara heard the whistling of air, and the arms released his neck. He shot up and stabbed the demon holding his feet, his spirit sword going right through the monstrosity's head.   
  
He looked at his savior and saw a pretty Asin girl, and an Egyptian looking boy. They were knocking the demon's back with their bare hands. "Time for your trick Lily!" The boy yelled diving out of the way.   
  
The girl, Lily got on her hands and yelled, "KICK!" as she spun. Her foot smashed into the demons, but it was not just a kick, green energy was on her foot, and went crashing into the demons. Killing all that encircled them.  
  
She flipped up, and landed on a demon's shoulders, twisted her feet which snapped his neck. She swayed from an injury to the side, the Egyptian boy running towards her.  
  
"Are you-" The boy's words were cut off as long needle went through the side of his neck and out the other. The needle was as thick as a pencil, long enough to go all the way through his neck. Hiei eyes were wide, and you could tell he was trying to swallow over and over.  
  
The needle was pulled out, and blood poured out the holes. He fell on his knees, and then crumpled backwards. "KYOTO!" Lily screamed, running over to him. A demon who had the weapon would have gotten her as well, if Kuwabara had not intervened, and taken the weapon away.   
  
As Kuwabara fought with this demon, Kyoto clung to Lily. "Kyoto...its okay...its all okay...Your going to be fine! Just hang on...Kyoto!...Kyoto!" He went pale, and released Lily'd hands going limp. She rose, tears streaming from her face, and aided Kuwabara in killing the demon.  
  
Lily collapsed on the ground after the deed was done, pulling Kyoto to her, "Oh no...no..." Kuwabara looked at him, taking in his small youthful face. The girl and the now dead, Kyoto were the same age. "I'm sorry..." Lily looked up at him. "He was all that was left of my team..." She was crying enraged. They killed April...Shin...Brande..." Lily was babbling.  
  
"Shin was nothing but ashes, they ate April's heart, and ripped out Brande's guts...I'LL KILL THEM ALL!" Lily turned around and Kuwabara got up to stop the infuriated youth. As he got up he saw her, standing before the burning crates, with 3 other demons.   
  
All four now looked black standing in front of the intense light, Kuwabara was grabbed from behind, and held back, he didn't care as they began to attack him, he only watched the four black objects.   
  
One by one the black objects fell, leaving only the smallest figure behind. The smallest figure had been attacked by a small thin line of a shadow, Kuwabara could not make out. He knew that figure had to be Lily, and watched as she swayed, then...the head of the figure fell off.  
  
"NOO!" Kuwabara screamed angrily, and slammed his fists into the demons. His sword went through their guts, and he tossed them towards the fire. As he did so, he saw the light flicker over the head, and it indeed was what he thought it was.  
  
The young girl, Lily's, head.   
  
Tears poured down his face and Kuwabara screamed, "DAM* THIS PLACE AND DA*M THIS WAR!! I'LL STOP IT!! I'LL SHOW YOU BAS*ARDS! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME OR MY FRIENDS!" Kuwabara attacked and attacked, blood raining down on him, not all of it red.   
  
Blood of every color, of every amount falling onto his body. His own blood was spilled in the air, and he felt only rage for every cut he received.  
  
Faster...faster! He killed them quicker, drums pounding in his ears, children's bodies stuck in his head. He'd kill them all!   
  
ALL OF THEM!  
  
He felt no pain, only intense hate, and then...  
  
Someone hit him in his stomach, and he collapsed.   
  
Wearily Kuwabara looked up, and found Hiei in front of him. "You fool..." He said softly. Kuwabara saw the shock, and confusion in Hiei's eyes as he tried so desperately to breathe. Hiei looked around at all the corpses, and bent down next to Kuwabara. Hiei touched Kuwabara's cheek, and blood of every color appeared on his hand. Kuwabara saw this and moaned.   
  
He brought his head down in Hiei's lap, and sobbed.  
  
Hiei jumped and starred down at the collapsed man in his arms, who lay sobbing in his lap, weak and drained.   
  
Kuwabara was a very proud man, and Hiei a very proud demon. They both stood tall, had great pride, and their own complicated honor codes, among their race. They were old oaks standing in the wind, and rain, standing proud representing their own kind.   
  
And Kuwabara's tree had been cut down.  
  
Hiei gripped Kuwabara's jacket, "Easy you fool....easy..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~dramatic...this part of the war is not yet over. 2nd part in next chapter. (p.s. some of the names i used in this chappie are my friend's names. and those who are my friends and see this, don't voice who's who k? ^_^)  
  
NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Beofore anyone can react the trench is flooded, and Kuwabara and Hiei are sweapt away.... 


	8. Tidal Wave

Kurama cried out as something pierced his side. The weapon lodged between his ribs, turned out to be an actual spear, not an energy one. He cursed silently, and ripped it out, blood staining the ground. He turned to his assaulter, and growled at him angrily. Kurama decided to use his rose whip on the demon instead of the energy power he'd been given, and wrapped the spiny whip around the monster's neck, and with a twist, the head popped off.  
  
As Kurama was painted with blood, he tucked away the whip. The pain from jerking the weapon out, made him stumble as he stood. He wrapped up the injured side with a piece of shirt, "borrowed" from the dead demon. He fell on his knees pain, filling up his upper torso.  
  
"Hey..."   
  
Kurama turned to his side, to see a small demon girl looking at him. She had shoulder length strait black hair, and pecan eyes. Her body was crushed by another demon, five times her size. All that was seen of her was her left arm, from the shoulder up.  
  
"Oh God!"  
  
"I'm not in any pain...Don't worry." The girl smiled as blood trailed down her lips. "I was just wondering if you could get this thing off me. I do want to come back you know, but I doubt I can if my body was flattened like a pancake." She spoke so calmly, it made Kurama feel nervous. Painfully he shoved the demon off her, freeing her from the weight.  
  
He winced and turned away. "T...Thank you." The girl whispered. Kurama placed her small head in his lap. He immediately knew what she was. A flower demon. Peaceful, gentle creatures. They were loved in the human and demon world. The human's called them "fairies" but they were not small as the humans thought.  
  
"My names Je...Jennifer....what's yours?"  
  
Kurama looked down and with a bitter smile told her his name. "What a nice name....I'll be glad when the war is over..." She smiled up at him. "When it's over I can see my friend's again...and my beautiful flowers....th...they're so lovely in the morning..." Her lids were closing, very slowly. "Make sure I goto the portal when I'm gone...I'd hate to be the only one who couldn't come back to say...hell...hello again."  
  
Her eyes closed completely.  
  
"Don't you think...it will be beautiful Kurama? When this war is over, the flowers will come in bloom, and change this d...dark place...and while that happens...we'll be with our friends...our family....everyone." She sighed, "Won't that be lovely?"  
  
Her smile grew stiff, still remaining soft, and Kurama knew she had died.  
  
Kurama looked at her dead form, and tears dripped down his face. "That's just a fairy tail...there is no happy ending. No flower will grow in this field of blood red soil, and we will not be laughing with our friends...we will be in our homes, remembering this Hell we faced."  
  
Kurama held her, rocking the small form to his body.  
  
"What a beautiful lie you had..."  
  
"EVERYONE, FALL BACK!!"   
  
Kurama turned his head just in time to see a rush of water speeding towards him, like a tidal wave. He held the girl's body close, and jumped out of the way. He spotted a water Demon sending a wave of water, she was on a Venom, and laughed her head off at the sight of everyone running, and drowning.   
  
Kurama growled, took aim, and shot a seed at the water demon. The seed burst into bloom in a matter of minutes, and a strangled cry filled the air. Who needed a bracelet that gave you endless energy, when you were able to shoot seeds in people's bodies and make them explode?  
  
She had stopped sending the water, but the water she had sent, crashed through the trench. "LOOK OUT! GET OUT OF THE TRENCH!" Kurama cried. He turned his head, crying out as some of the other soldiers got swept away, his call too late.  
  
Kurama was glad at least some dived out of the way, but fear clutched his heart for those who did not move in time. Friends grabbed hold of their own who were being swept away, only to be pulled in the water with them. Younger ones went down, and only a few submerged back to the surface.  
  
Kurama held onto the girl again, tears filling his eyes. He felt so empty...everything seemed wrong....  
  
Hiei's head turned as he saw the rush of water. Hiei gasped, and looked down at the sobbing man, and gripped him. "Kuwabara! We need to-" He was cut off as the water crashed down on him, sweeping him and Kuwabara away.   
  
Hiei tried desperately to hold on to Kuwabara, surprised at how much he didn't want to lose the human he "hated". He opened his eyes and saw Kuwabara had his hand at his throat. Kuwabara did not have demon lungs, he needed air in a much shorter amount of time than he did.  
  
Hiei kicked Kuwabara as hard as he could, sending him to the left, knowing he'd land safely on the ground. Hiei only hoped he didn't hit him too hard, afraid he may have broken something. Hiei spiraled in the water, and managed to catch a few gasps of airs, before being swept downstream once again.  
  
He struggled, fighting for his life, the water freezing over his body, doing more damage then the others, being as he was a fire demon. (---I can never remember what type of demon he is. Hope that's right) Then the water slowed, and the ground became nothing but mud.  
  
Hiei now found himself being dragged in the mud, and he choked as it forced it's way in his mouth, up his nose, and in his ears. Hiei freed himself from the muddy trap, and was no longer recognizable, looking like a snowman made out of mud. He twitched and cursed angrily. With a sigh he gave one last curse.  
  
"Dam*"  
  
"Y...your tel...tellin' me..."   
  
He turned around, to see another creature covered in as much mud as him. This creature had a rather large piece of wood through it's gut. A jagged piece from one of the broken crates. It was at an angle holding the muddy creature up off the muddy floor. If the wood was any bigger, it's torso may have been sawed off.  
  
The eyes opened and he saw the large blue eyes, and recognition filled his mind. A girl holding out her hand, smiling at him, and placing wood in Yusuke's mouth.  
  
"Your that human girl. Keely..." The girl smiled and blood dribbled out her mouth. Hiei did not see this, because of all the mud smeared on her body.  
  
Hiei came over to her, and sliced the wood off, making sure it stayed in her. If he cut it out, she would die instantly, maybe this could keep her alive long enough so he could save her. She was in a terrible, fierce amount of pain, but had no strength to cry out. He wiped her face, and now was able to make out her red hair, just a little.   
  
"Hmm. Not bad, it can be fixed." Hiei muttered under his breath.  
  
"I...If I was...a..a demo...demon."   
  
Hiei looked at her. He knew she was right, but did not voice his agreement.   
  
"I'm dying."   
  
She smiled and turned her head. "Hmm...I don't...I don't think...I...I can come...come back. I've already di...died before."  
  
Hiei watched her, and saw muddy tears go down her face. She was afraid of the death that was steadily approaching her.  
  
"Koenma promised to bring everyone back. You'll be brought back."  
  
She nodded. Her eyes were no longer the dark blue, but had turned pale, like a blind woman's eyes. Hiei looked at her, the eyes making his heart twist.  
  
"Hiei."  
  
She looked at him puzzled, "What?"  
  
"My name is Hiei." He said in an unchanged voice. She smiled and held out a shaking hand. "My nam...es Keely. Ho...How do you...How do you do?" He shook her hand, holding it there. He did not answer her, for her hand went limp and cold; she died looking at him, with a gentle smile.  
  
He picked her up, pulled out the wood, seeing no more need to leave it there, and began to walk back towards the others, who were almost a mile away. There was heavy silence. The night raid must have been over. He walked pulling several people out of the mud, and made it back within 30 minutes, thanks to his demon speed.  
  
He approached the Healers, Mali, and Kurama rushing to meet him. Hiei held out Keely, and Mali took her. "She's so light..."   
  
"She has no more blood in her. It's emptied out all over the trench."   
  
Kurama grasped Hiei's shoulders and hugged him, catching Hiei off guard. "Thank God your okay!" Kurama pulled away, and smiled at the muddy figure. "You need a bath." Hiei glared, and then felt another hand on his shoulder.   
  
He turned to see Yusuke, "You should listen to the man." Yusuke smiled, his skin pale. "Mali!" Mali turned back to Hiei, she'd been cleaning the mud off the dead girl's face.  
  
"That is the girl that saved you." Hiei stated pointing at her.  
  
Yusuke looked down at her corpse and shook his head. He looked at the girl, gratitude filled in his eyes. Mali shook her head, "How am I going to tell Danton?"   
  
"He's the Healer that helped me, are they friends?" Mali shook her head, "She's her best friend, and her brother. He took her in, when he killed her parents. He could not bring himself to kill the girl, and raised her. She changed him, and he became good." She shook her head, "Now what shall I do?"   
  
Mali walked away, and Danton who'd been the subject of their conversation ran to her. When he noticed the small child in Mali's arms he froze. He grabbed the small girl, and held her. He dropped on his knees, holding her tightly, his body trembling.   
  
"I hate this place." Yusuke spat.  
  
Kurama squeezed his shoulder. "At least everyone has stopped battling for the time being. Everyone is looking for the stragglers. We should help." Kurama looked around. "But first, we need to search for Kuwabara."  
  
Hiei's eyes widened as he remembered him. "Wait." He took off and went to the place he'd kicked him, sending him to the side. After searching Hiei felt his throat close.  
  
Kuwabara was not there...  
  
He turned hopping to the other side of the trench, that was ahead of the safety. If Kuwabara was thrown over here, it would have been no safer than the flood of water.  
  
Six feet away, he saw Kuwabara laying very still on the ground. Hiei felt his hands shake, Kuwabara had been out in open fire. He could be dead. He could have been shot. Hiei could have thrown him into more danger, signing his death warrant.  
  
Hiei approached him, and saw Kuwabara was soaked in as much mud as him. He realized he must not have kicked Kuwabara fully to safety, and Kuwabara had crawled, thinking he was on the safe side of the trench. Hiei turned him over, seeing his eyes closed. Kuwabara had no visible wounds.   
  
He checked his body for broken limbs, and Kuwabara whimpered. "Kuwabara?" Hiei looked at him, and realized the scent of a Demon blood was in the air. He searched and spotted a demon body. Judging by his wound, Hiei could tell Kuwabara had stabbed him.   
  
He looked down, and realized the Demon must have been trying to drag him to the enemy side. So they could interrogate him, which would mean torturing him, and harming him in unbelievable ways, just to get what they needed.   
  
"Wake up human. I'm not carrying your as* back to the others."  
  
Kuwabara's eyes opened, and he looked at Hiei. He tried to sit up, but in the end, needed Hiei's help. "Ugh..." He grunted. He looked over at Hiei, and then noticed the body. "Did you kill him?"   
  
Hiei raised an eyebrow. Kuwabara did not remember? Hiei decided it was best not to tell Kuwabara that the Demon tried to capture him, "He was strangling you, and I killed him. For a fool, you were putting up a good fight." Hiei felt he deserved to give a bit of a compliment to the human. It was Kuwabara that had killed the demon, not him. Kuwabara didn't bother to reply.   
  
Only stating, "I feel cold."  
  
Hiei lifted him up, realizing he was cold as well. "Come on. Yusuke might lose control if he doesn't know your safe. Why he cares for you so much, is beyond me." When Kuwabara did not bother to snap back, Hiei realized that the human must have been serious. Kuwabara couldn't be fine if he wasn't snapping back at him, and yelling back in that gritty voice, as Hiei called it.  
  
"Come on."  
  
"Hiei...are you injured?" Kuwabara asked cautiously.  
  
"No...Do you feel any injury?" he asked, equally cautious. This was the first time the two had spoken in a friendly manner.  
  
It was a time to tread softly here. They were not close friends, they were barely friends, and now to be speaking in friendly terms, seemed dangerous. Their beginning friendship was filled with mines, and they needed to avoid those mines, as so not to ruin their first baby steps towards companionship.  
  
"My head hurts..."  
  
Hiei merely nodded and helped Kuwabara walk back to the Healers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~aw...the beginning of friendship...YAY! PREVIEW FRO NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
Hiei and Kuwabara have fallen ill from their water ride, and Kurama and Yusuke have a heart to heart talk. 


	9. Worry For My Friends

"How are they?" Kurama asked Mali the next morning. "They both have slight phenomena." Mali told them rubbing a cool rag over Kuwabara's face. "Hiei's isn't too bad, and Kuwabara's is only a bit worse. They should recover soon...maybe a few days. They're lucky it's not bad cases like some of the others..."  
  
Yusuke and Kurama looked around the room. More tables, and cots had been moved in around the Healers, those who were well enough on their own slept inside the tents, within the safety of the shield. Several people were in beds, all who'd been caught in the water. Almost a dozen of them would be sent through the portal by the time noon came.   
  
Yusuke went over to Kuwabara, running a hand through his friend's loose hair. Kuwabara's eyes fluttered open, and his fevered eyes turned to look up at him. "Hang in there." Yusuke said pulling more covers up around him.   
  
He smiled, and turned his head, going back to sleep again. Kurama was telling Hiei he needed rest, though Hiei stubbornly insisted he was fine. "Hiei! If you don't shut up, and lay down, I'll sit on your head! You don't want that to happen, trust me!" Mali laughed at her own statement, Hiei glaring.  
  
Hiei glared at her, and folded his arms like a child throwing a tantrum. "Dam*it." Yusuke fluffed his hair, and looked at him. "Hiei? Have you been using conditioner?" Hiei went red.   
  
"That would be *BAKA* Mali's fault."  
  
"Young'n your hair was so sharp, it needed conditioner!" She wagged her finger at him. "You two should go on, unless you want to help me. There is no fighting today. It seems both sides were worn out. I suggest you sleep."  
  
"All right. After a nap we're coming to help." Yusuke said. "What ever you want." Mali turned to Hiei, "Try to get some sleep, or I'll be forced to knock you out."  
  
"How woman?"  
  
"I have medicines, just a sniff of some will knock you out. Sleep. Now."  
  
Hiei grumbled, but relaxed and closed his eyes. "I'm killing you as soon as this war is over." Mali laughed loudly a large grin stretching on her slightly worn face. "My what a spirited one!" She left, but came back with blankets, and a hot pot of coffee.   
  
"Go rest. I'm assuming we won't be fighting for a few days, the demons have suffered as much as we had. They had made a mistake in thinking they could send a few of their demons and wipe us out. At least two days peace would do us all some good."  
  
The two took the coffee and mugs thanking Mali and walked off, choosing to sit behind the food crates for privacy. "It's gotten cold." Kurama said pouring some coffee for himself, and Yusuke. "Yes. It has..." Yusuke looked up, and sighed. "I'm afraid that I'll lose one of you."  
  
Kurama nodded, "For the time, that is my greatest fear. I would die if I lost any of you..." Yusuke agreed and then laughed, "We should ask Kuwabara, I bet he'd know!" At first Yusuke was joking, but then he realized the truth in his own words.  
  
"Kurama...what if he does know?!" He looked at Kurama, terror written all over his face, as if it were a book. Kurama reached over, "Calm your self Yusuke! Kuwabara is able to predict a lot of things, but I don't think he can predict death." Kurama took a sip of the hot beverage. "Granted, he has felt death, when someone is going to die, but out here...we all feel it, but we can never know who. I don't think Kuwabara could know. In fact I'm sure he doesn't know. If he did, don't you think he would have said something?"  
  
Yusuke relaxed, leaning against the crate giving a smile, and sighing with relief.  
  
Kurama smiled. "You worry for Kuwabara a lot."  
  
Yusuke blushed, "No I don't!"  
  
"Oh?" Kurama looked into his coffee. "I worry for Hiei all the time." Yusuke blinked, and looked at him. "Hiei is much more fragile than he lets on. He keeps everything in, all his guilt, only letting his anger out. He keeps his pain inside...that is more painful than any means of torture...any type of death...."  
  
Kurama looked at Yusuke, "Because I care so deeply for him, I fear for him all the time. He doesn't show it, but he fears for me as well." Kurama looked up at the sky. "He doesn't know how to express these feelings, and now with all these new feelings surfacing brought on by war, I worry more. He really cares for us, even if he doesn't know how to say it."  
  
Kurama closed his eyes smiling. "I don't want to lose him."  
  
Yusuke nodded.   
  
Kurama opened his eyes, and looked at him, "I don't want to lose you or Kuwabara either....I didn't want to tell you this..." Kurama looked away, "but Mali has confessed to me, Kuwabara has internal wounds and is bleeding to death. This day is his last...by tonight...he'll be gone."  
  
Yusuke grabbed Kurama, "NO! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?" Yusuke dropped him, pale and shaking. He had to get to Kuwabara! "Kuwa-" Yusuke was about to rush up and then forward, when Kurama caught his hand, "Don't worry for him, hmmm?"   
  
Yusuke realized Kurama had been tricking him, and glared, "You dirty fox!" Kurama laughed, ad Yusuke sat back down, fuming and embarrassed. "Sorry Yusuke, but I couldn't resist." Kurama smiled warmly, "Why try hiding it? You and Kuwabara care for each other, just as much as I care for Hiei."  
  
"Showing how much I cared for him, nearly got him killed, and later it got him kidnapped."  
  
Kurama looked at Yusuke who was drinking his own coffee. "I don't want that to happen anymore...but no matter how much I try, I can't bring myself to push him away...even if it's to save him."   
  
"Kuwabara would have figured out what you were trying to do anyway." Kurama said offering an understanding smile.  
  
Yusuke laughed. "Yeah." Yusuke rest his head on the crate looking up at the gray sky. "...Kurama?"  
  
"Yes Yusuke?"  
  
"You've helped me out a lot, and in case I don't get another chance to say it, Thank you."  
  
"But what hav-"  
  
"Don't ask. You know what you've done to help me."  
  
"...Your welcome Yusuke."  
  
The two sat in silence, and Kurama placed a hand on Yusuke's shoulder, "War is hard...even for as much missions as we've face, because now, we're seeing others, that are Reikai just like us, laying at our feet, dying."  
  
Yusuke sighed, "Nothing seems to simple any more."  
  
Kurama nodded.  
  
Though they were far away, they jumped as they heard a shout, "YOU STUPID WOMAN!!!"  
  
They looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Oh man! Mali has got to be the bravest woman for even bothering with Hiei!"  
  
Kurama laughed and downed his drink, "Come on, Mali may need help tying Hiei down."  
  
The two laughed, leaving their conversation behind them and made there way over to the medical area.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~short I know, but sweet. PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER: I need only two words to give a summery to the next chapter: Someone dies.  
  
):) 


	10. Sorrow

Hiei glared at nothing. There was nothing to glare at. There were people in cots near him, but they were dying, or trying to recover. And the foolish human, Mali, was not in sight, and Kuwabara slept in the cot near him.   
  
Hiei was already nearly done recovering! He had two days and a night, he didn't need another night to recover! Hiei was ready to get up and leave. He'd do it now, but that dam* Mali seemed to know exactly when he was going to try, and kept drugging him up, and making him sleep.  
  
Hiei bored of glaring at nothing, turned to glare at the slumbering Kuwabara.  
  
It was something he was accustomed to anyhow.  
  
Kuwabara welcomed the medicines, and had slept this whole time, except when he was woken by Yusuke, Kurama, Mali or by himself.   
  
Hiei was surprised that Kuwabara didn't snore loudly. He could hear faint snores, but barely audible, even for a demon's ear. Hiei realized how different Kuwabara looked with his hair down. Younger, and somehow better. With his hair down, something made Hiei think that Kuwabara was different. Like he was letting his real self out.  
  
It bothered Hiei when he saw him killing all those demons. Hiei had always yelled at him to fight more viciously and when he saw him doing it, he thought Kuwabara had died. It wasn't his normal way of fighting, it was how an animal infested with rabies fought. When Hiei stopped him, he prayed never to see Kuwabara like that again. Because it wasn't Kuwabara...it was a monster.  
  
Hiei humped. He cursed fate, for making him beginning to like this fool.  
  
He turned away, and saw Mali. She was at a desk which had been set up in the middle of the shield, and in the middle of all the patients. Hiei knew one of the books. A very thick book had everyone, who was fighting in this war, names in it.  
  
When someone died, the book would be brought over, and it would flip itself to a page. Each page only had one name. The book would open to a name, and it would always be the person who lay dead under it. Then, all the Healer had to do, was cross out the name, and place a cross sign. At the front of the book it would have the number of soldiers that had died.  
  
1034.  
  
That was the last number he saw. But how many more had died?  
  
He laid perfectly still, and saw her turn on a light, working in another book. She was muttering to herself. Hiei watched her worn features brighten when she scribbled something in a hurry. She looked mighty pleased when she was done, and a bit smug.  
  
She was curious for a human. She was very motherly. He'd seen her go around and tell children stories, and they'd listen even if they all were to big for stories. She talked kind sweet words to everyone, even as he slept, she spoke those gentle words to him.  
  
He wasn't sure how or why, but he really was beginning to like her.  
  
She was strong, she showed no pain, not even when the first time he met her, her son had just been killed. He learned that her daughter who was fighting was beheaded. That was the same girl Kuwabara had met, the one that had made him go into a blind rage.  
  
Mali scribbled some more things down, and rest her chin in her hand. He could hear her hum a lullaby and felt sleep lay it's blanket over him. He watched her, shaking off sleep. She made his heart ache. She wasn't Hina, not his mother, but there was something that drew him to her.  
  
She made him wish, his own mother was still alive.  
  
Hiei blinked, sleep beginning to take him, when he saw her get up. She was starring at something curiously.  
  
Behind her dawn arose, and she made her way out of the shield's protection. Hiei sat up, anxiety bubbling in his stomach. She took two steps when a demon, that was not one of their own, grabbed her, and sunk it's teeth in her neck.  
  
"NO! MALI!!"  
  
The others stirred at his call, and several woke, but Hiei had rushed forward, and snapped the demon's neck. Anger tasted bitter in his mouth, more bitter than the blood that had landed in his mouth. He held Mali, and sunk to the ground with her. Her black graying hair, which was kept in a bun fell now, down at her shoulders. She smiled, blood pouring from her neck, and shoulder.  
  
"Why thank you young'n...It might have...have hurt hitting the ground."  
  
Hiei didn't talk, he ripped off her white coat and tied it around her neck. Healers were rushing forward, and Mali caught Hiei's hand. "Your a good boy...I can tell by the way you look, that you don't know too much about your Mama..."   
  
Hiei's eyes widened and he starred at her, "I hope...you don't mind...but I mothered you on purpose...your such a good boy...your Mother must be so proud of you where ever she is." Mali brought her hand up and cupped his cheek. Hiei touched her hand and his eyes grew wider when she whispered, "If not, then at least I am."  
  
She closed her eyes, and she became heavy, death taking away her smile, and the lovely glow about her. She was gone. Hiei held the woman in his hands. Something, he wasn't use to feeling, something he only felt about Yukina whenever she was in danger, emerged. It was all bitter.   
  
Hate, malice, anger, pain....   
  
There was a lot of Pain.  
  
But another emotion he couldn't grasp....and that was what made him mad.  
  
Hiei let her go, and marched up to the trench. Yusuke and Kurama were awake, and starred at him, "Hiei?" Hiei stood tall and held out his hand. Without warning he released such energy, that the earth shook, and those that were sleeping slept no longer.   
  
He stopped and the enemy demon's, the few thousand that remained, roared and those that could fly rushed to meet them. "Hiei! What the hell is wrong!?" Yusuke yelled, as everyone rushed up in a hurry, preparing themselves for battle. Kurama grabbed Yusuke's elbow and pointed.   
  
"Mali..." He starred at her form, and immediately knew what was wrong. "Kurama we have to calm him down!" Kurama agreed, "He could get himself killed!" Hiei fired at a demon, it's body landing too close for comfort.   
  
"Or everyone else!"  
  
As Hiei raged on in his fighting he realized what emotion he was feeling, the one he couldn't grasp.   
  
It was sorrow.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bet you didn't see this one coming....T_T I like Mali too....  
  
PREVIEW OF THE NEXT CHAPTER:   
  
Hiei faces inner turmoil. He fights with his feelings, and the pain in his body. Just when he gets everything figured out he is taken hostage...but no, no...we can't have him go to his doom all lonely? So....a corpse is thrown in the mix, to ride with Hiei to the integration rooms. So...um yeah basiclly....Hiei's gonna be reeeaaaaaaalllll screwed up. ^_______^ 


	11. Prisoners Of War

Hiei gripped this new emotion, sorrow, to him and held onto it using it as his defense and offense. He refused to release it, the sorrow mixing in with his hate and pain, making a bitter brew which he swallowed himself.  
  
He was angry, and fought off the sadness, this bitter brew, by killing the enemy.  
  
Kurama and Yusuke could not keep up with him, they were too busy with problems of their own. "I think they're trying to...do something else! They-" Yusuke was knocked down, a demon on top of his back. Yusuke swore as Kurama killed the demon. Yusuke growled, standing up with help from Kurama. "As I was saying...they're not killing any one! The ones that fly are only wounding us! I think they're trying to do something else!"  
  
Kurama nodded in agreement. "I think they might be trying to take us as prisoners of war." Yusuke raised his eyebrows. "Why would they do that?" Kurama bit his lip, "To get information, to see if we have anything they could use."  
  
Kurama's theory was answered as a girl was lifted off in the air. There were shrieks, and cries from above her. She thrashed and in the end she blew up the demon's feet, and dropped like a stone, a fellow Rekai on a Furry Dragon catching her. Demons still tried to grab someone though, and their plans became all too apparent.  
  
"THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE PRISONORS! EVERYONE...DON'T LET THEM TAKE YOU!"  
  
With those words shouted, the enemy tried harder, and the others defended better. A teen aged, male demon, was grabbed by three flying demon's. He was carried in the sky, thrashing and biting. He stopped struggling and seemed to know that he wouldn't be able to get away. He grabbed his neck his eyes closed, a few onlookers, and those that knew him screamed with anger, and horror, as the young demon killed himself.   
  
He wasn't going to be taken.   
  
"Oh God..." Yusuke gasped.   
  
"This is getting out of hand!"  
  
"Kurama! Where's Hiei!?"  
  
Hiei was currently chasing after any demon, that dared attack him. He killed as if he had no other purpose in life. Blood soaked all over his arms, his entire body, drenching his very soul. He heard someone shout out something about prisoners.   
  
'I don't take prisoners!' Hiei thought savagely. 'I KILL THEM!' Hiei growled ripping out a demons lung. It screamed, and made a noise that didn't sound alive at all, and then gave a weak cry of death.   
  
Hiei breathed fast, letting his tension out, and saw tear gems on his shirt, and on the ground. He fell down letting out an angry howl. Why had he begun to care?!   
  
He stared at the body under him, dead, bloodshot eyes, and their own lung laying neaxt to him. Hiei walked away, and felt calmer. Everything was back to normal it seemed, but the feeling of remorse for Mali remained.  
  
He leaned against the trench wall confused, and weary. He couldn't understand why he was caring! Why did he feel these things, that he had never felt before? He made friends with a human, he was nice to the oaf, and he even held children's hands!  
  
"I AM HIEI!" He roared, as if trying to shout past the confusion of his thoughts. He dropped on his knees, holding his stomach. He was feeling ill, and confused. He was the demon Hiei, the forbidden child. He did not feel or care. How could he change....?  
  
"Why...what is going on? Why do I care...?" Something Kurama had said...when had he said it. 'War changes a man...' Kurama's simple verse echoed in his head. He had said it before the war. He might have even said it during.   
  
But Hiei remembered Kurama saying it to him, when he observed a man gone bitter after war. Hiei snorted as he thought, 'I am already bitter, so this war will change me to mush.'   
  
Hiei felt the confusion again. He sighed, why fight it? He cared, he was changing. Hiei's eyes snapped open. That was right. Why fight it? Fighting the fact that he cared was what restarted their time to fight. He remembered the worn dying people in the hospital. The children who hadn't gotten enough sleep or enough food, wearily getting up after the battle began once again.  
  
"Dam*." Hiei cursed.  
  
He'd put everyone in danger, by losing control, because of his own confused thoughts. This was no time to be confused, there were people here, demons here, and they all leaned on each other for support. Hiei had pulled away, and the structure that was made out of all of the Rekai, nearly went tumbling away,  
  
"Alright...I'm not pathetic..." Hiei snarled standing fully. "So I care. Whatever..." He growled. "Mali....I'll get you your revenge...."  
  
"HIEI!" His head snapped up, and he saw Kurama running for him. "LOOK OU-" Kurama was tackled from behind, and enraged, Hiei ran forward.  
  
Kurama was flailing from underneath the grasp of a demon. 'All right dam*ed heart! I'm starting to care more now. I got it.' Hiei thought as he ran towards Kurama.  
  
He would never make it, because something pierced his side. He cried out and turned seeing a black dragon. It was ugly, and it's burning green eyes looked like they were mere cuts on the dragon's face. A demon on his back made a clucking sound and Hiei was thrown into the trench.  
  
This dragon wasn't a Venom, this was a high class beast. Just as intelligent as a Furry White Dragon, where had they gotten one?  
  
"Dam*..." He murmured again becoming unconscious, as a hand grabbed him by his jacket.   
  
~meanwhile~  
  
Kuwabara's eyes had opened to the sound of war. He was still weak, and fevered, but something told him to wake. It wasn't the sounds of war, it was something else. A feeling that hung in the air.   
  
He sat up, and climbed out of the cot. His shirt was on the ground, but he did not pick it up. He grabbed his jacket so he would not be mistaken for the enemy. Too tired to button it up, he just walked out of the shield. The Healers did not stop him, running around trying to help everyone who was hit from not waking up quick enough.   
  
As he walked, it was as if he was watching a silent movie. He knew there was sound, but he could not focus on it. He smelt blood, and as he walked he saw people killed in front of him. No bullet hit him, nothing touched him. Fate was pulling him by the sleeve of his jacket, towards an unknown place.   
  
Kuwabara stumbled down towards the trench, and began to walk. He couldn't hear anything, and wasn't aware of anything as well. He just knew, he had to walk. Keep walking. Just walk. 'Where am I going?' He wondered.  
  
He stopped, and looked up. Now he knew.  
  
"HIEI!" Kuwabara cried, seeing the small warrior hanging over the neck of a Dragon, an enemy demon riding on it. Kuwabara ran, and leapt catching the dragon's neck. He had his sword in an instant, and tried to stab through the hard skin.  
  
It roared and Kuwabara was flung in the air, along with Hiei. He tried to kick Hiei, to wake him up, or at least get him thrown away from the enemy, but his leg was not long enough to reach. When they both landed back on the dragon. Hiei at the neck, and he at the side. The demon laughed, and grabbed Kuwabara, pulling him up in his lap.   
  
"Well human...that was a sorry attempt at a rescue, but don't lose heart!" The demon mocked him and laughed."You'll be going with him..." He pulled Kuwabara by the hair, making his neck exposed, pulled out a long thick needle, and pressed it in a bulging vein. Kuwabara opened his mouth in a silent scream, and closed his eyes tight. "One way or another...."  
  
Hiei opened his eyes, and saw Kuwabara. Kuwabara had his head pressed tightly to the demon's shoulder and chest, his hands clutching and relaxing over and over again.  
  
"Bak...baka?" He murmered, feeling dizzy and in pain from the wound on his side. Kuwabara's eyes opened and his body went slack, his mouth remaining open. The demon threw him, and Kuwabara landed next to Hiei. Kuwabara landed on his belly as well, hanging over the Dragon's neck like Hiei.   
  
Kuwabara's eyes were wide open and his head was turned looking at Hiei. His body was completely stiff and his chest did not move. His hands were still clenched, and pain was written in his wide glassy eyes. it was as if the demon had taken a picture of him when he'd been stabbed in the neck, He had completely frozen up.  
  
Hiei felt sick. He was dead. Just like that Kuwabara was dead? Hiei felt pain in his body. There was no honor in this death, no noble duty. It was just a death, that happened out of the blue. Kuwabara's soul would not rest in peace.   
  
Hiei closed his eyes with mental, and physical pain.  
  
It just wasn't fair.  
  
The dragon took off in the air, and Hiei grabbed onto Kuwabara. Even though Kuwabara had always been annoying, and the demon wasn't the fondest of him, Hiei could not let his body fall to the ground.   
  
One thing to be dead, but to have you body lost in war...Where your may never be recovered, was another. Hiei's thoughts drifted over to Yusuke. Yusuke and Kuwabara were so close. He remembered the tears falling from Yusuke's face, over several horrible incidents, most having to do with Kuwabara. The same was with Kuwabara.  
  
If Hiei could not hold onto Kuwabara for him, then he would hold onto Kuwabara for Yusuke's sake. He clutched him, and the dragon's neck, and finally faded into the dark resources of his mind.  
  
Before he passed out he murmured, "Foolish human...why do we keep meeting in this war, during our worst times?"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Well....hmmm....so...PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
Well, our friends are now prisoners of war....that sux so bad...and Kuwabara is dead...or...is he?   
  
T_T...I'm sad....  
  
Kurama: Why?  
  
People call Kuwabara, Kuwabaka....  
  
Kuwabara: They do!? *Sulks in corner* T_T  
  
Hiei: Why does that make you sad?  
  
I'm Kazima *Kuwabara*.....so am I Kazima Kuwabaka? *Sulks in corner with Kuwabara* T_T 


	12. He Won't Last The Night

As everything settled, Yusuke lay curled up on the ground, tired, and in pain. He cursed Hiei's name in his mind, angry at him, and angry at himself for *being* angry at Hiei.  
  
"YUSUKE!"  
  
Said person, groaned and looked up, Kurama was running to him. He fell over gasping, tears falling from his cheeks. Yusuke sat up painfully, grasping Kurama's shoulders. "What is it?! Kurama? Kurama!?" Yusuke shook his friend, and Kurama gasped, "They...they took Hiei and Kuwabara!"   
  
"Who's they!?"  
  
"The enemy! A demon on a dragon took Hiei and Kuwabara...Yusuke...I saw the demon stab Kuwabara in the neck...I think..."  
  
Yusuke groaned louder, and fell on the ground, tears spilling out his eyes. "Nooo...no....don't say it. Please Kurama don't say it!"  
  
"Yusuke it...it looked like he died...I'm-"  
  
Yusuke struck Kurama across his face. "YOU LIE!" Yusuke began to scream and tear at the dead bodies around him. Many soldiers were frozen and starred at him, eyes wide.   
  
Yusuke fell limp, and cursed everything he could curse, including himself and lay, his mind thinking of his best friend. All they'd done. All they'd gone through.  
  
~ flashback quotes ~  
  
'Your supposed to be here!...For me....'  
  
'Urameshi?!'  
  
'Can't you think this out a little longer?!'  
  
'I won't die...even if all the bones in my body are broke...We still...must fight each other...'  
  
'So whats this important guy stuff we need to get?'  
  
'If you come out here I'll turn my sword on you myself!'  
  
'Hey...leave him to my Urameshi...'  
  
'Lets goto Hell together!'  
  
'Take That back Urameshi!"  
  
'DON'T YOU BE DEAD YOU BAS*RD!' (---Can't remember but I think this is a quote from later on in the series.)  
  
'Urameshi! Hahaha!'  
  
~ end ~  
  
Finally, Kuwabara's voice echoing so loudly in his head, he stopped all movement, and just cried. Cried at the broken promise. He told him, that they wouldn't die. He told Kuwabara they weren't going to die....  
  
He didn't want to lie.  
  
Many watched with sympathy as Yusuke sobbed bitterly.   
  
After what seemed like forever he whispered, "They have Hiei and Kuwabara's...body...for sure?"  
  
Kurama nodded, and with dead eyes Yusuke helped Kurama stand. "Let's get Hiei...and Kuwabara...he needs his body." Yusuke spoke boldly, but at the last word, broke down crying again, and Kurama held him up.  
  
"Kurama!" He sobbed, "I told him we weren't going to die! I said we were all going to make it!" Kurama had to hold him up, as Yusuke completely broke. "I...I..." Yusuke was unable to talk.  
  
Kuwabara was his best friend and beyond. No one compared to Kuwabara, and he'd let him die. After he had said no. He died. Yusuke sobbed, and looked up into Kurama's moist eyes, "Did he look cold?" Kurama blinked and shook his head.   
  
"Good...he...he said he didn't want to die cold." Yusuke sobbed harder, and Kurama held him. "It's all right Yusuke...we'll fix this. He'll come back." Kurama sobbed along with the broken man, his thoughts resting on the fallen human, and Hiei.  
  
What was happening to Hiei?  
  
~*~  
  
"ARR!" Hiei growled viciously. The dragon had landed, and the demon, picked up him and Kuwabara. Hiei still held onto Kuwabara's shirt. Other demon's laughed, and pulled at him, and Kuwabara. Hiei howled and yelled, snarling like a wild animal. He thrashed at them, injuring them in anyway if they tried to take Kuwabara.  
  
A fear had settled in. What if they took Kuwabara's body....Demons ate humans...what would....?  
  
Hiei's hands had been tied, by some odd chain, and he felt no energy in at all. No power, he wasn't sure if he could fight. What really pissed him off, was that they had done this to Kuwabara's dead body. Why would they put a body in chains?  
  
Hiei was dragged to a tall poorly made building, and thrown into a room at the top floor, followed by Kuwabara. The demon pulled out the needle, and stabbed Kuwabara in the neck again.   
  
Hiei froze as Kuwabara came back to life, wheezing, and blinking. "Heheheh. How did it feel human? To be frozen, and unable to move? This is a nifty little trick...stops everything in the body...full awareness is left, but everything else is gone. feeling okay there?"   
  
Kuwabara mumbled hoarsely, "Bite me, you bit*h."  
  
Hiei flinched already knowing that wasn't wise, and watched as Kuwabara was kicked hard in his chest. Hiei got up going to Kuwabara's side, and with his cuffed hands, did his best to help him up.  
  
The demon spat on him, "Fighting by a human! Pathetic!" Hiei released Kuwabara, and charged the demon. His knee crashing hard into the demon's belly. "It appears I can still fight after all."  
  
The demon coughed, and shoved Hiei back in the room, slamming the door. "We can break out of this-" "No we can't." Hiei interrupted Kuwabara. This room looks normal, but it's powered by some sort of shield...don't touch the walls."  
  
Kuwabara nodded and laid back down with his eyes closed. He began coughing, and Hiei recognized that cough. He and Kuwabara made that cough, and that was when Mali noticed they had Pneumonia. Hiei slowly turned his head and stared at Kuwabara. His hands were to his mouth, and his whole body convulsed as he coughed.  
  
"Your still sick!" Hiei gasped softly. Kuwabara's eyes opened slightly, and he starred back with fevered eyes.  
  
Hiei went to his side, and whispered, "Curse you human, curse you...trying to help me when your half dead!" Hiei swore at him, and when he realized Kuwabara had no shirt, and just a jacket he swore more.  
  
"Odd...who would have guessed we'd be friends." Kuwabara snorted chuckling. "We are not friends...I just don't want to kill you any more." Hiei snorted. Kuwabara chuckled, and Hiei pulled him up, and slung him on the only bed. "Sleep." Kuwabara smiled, and whispered, "What will they do to us?"  
  
Hiei starred at him.  
  
Kuwabara looked back, "I know what humans do to humans when they torture, but how do demons torture?" Hiei starred at him, and the thought dawned on him that even healthy, Kuwabara had little chance to survive more than 4 days of demon torture. And since he wasn't healthy, that meant within two days....  
  
Hiei shook his head. "Don't worry yourself fool. Demon torture is almost like human torture. *We* just do it better." Hiei sat cross-legged at Kuwabara's side. Kuwabara nodded, sweat on his face, his fever returning. "I hope they come and get it over with, I'm not answering anything they ask."   
  
Hiei nodded. "You say that now..."  
  
"I won't answer them!"  
  
"Your a human! Humans are weak!"  
  
"I WON'T ANSWER THEM YOU SHRIMP! WATCH ME!"  
  
Hiei smiled to himself. He knew for sure now Kuwabara wouldn't break. Kuwabara would always try his hardest to prove Hiei wrong...  
  
"What ever human."  
  
Kuwabara went silent, and brought his chained hands up. He starred at them with curiosity. "These things are taking are power..." He whispered. "It's using out own energy to trap us, and because of these bracelets, these things will never come off of us, unless someone chops them off."  
  
Hiei merely nodded.  
  
Kuwabara brought his hands down, but rest them both on Hiei's head, ruffling his hair. "What do you think your doing?" Hiei felt his anger rise. Kuwabara removed his hands, and then turned around facing the wall. "I'm sorry."  
  
Hiei was about to speak when Kuwabara whispered, "Mali died. I could tell by the air hanging around you...and for the fact that I can't feel her here anymore. Even stuck in here, I can still feel the others...but Mali's not there."  
  
Kuwabara yawned.   
  
"I'm sorry." He whispered again, and Hiei caught the faint sounds of sleep. Hiei turned to look back at him. Hiei still felt the warmth of Kuwabara's hands in his hair. He shook his head laughing darkly, "Dam* you Kuwabara...dam* the human race...for making me care about someone as pathetic as a human."  
  
His hands were up at his face, one on his forehead, and he laughed at this strange fate. Finally, he and Kuwabara were making progress in getting along, and making steps towards friendship, after three years of working side by side. And their first real step of getting along, was now taking place in a prison cell, and being held captive by the enemy.  
  
Hiei sat there alone with his thoughts. He'd come to accept the idea that he was beginning to feel, and care for others. But now he wanted to figure out why. He sighed. He'd have plenty of that now, and then maybe he and Kuwabara could escape.  
  
A thought dawned on him. What about Kurama? Was he okay? Did he and Yusuke even know where they were?   
  
But most importantly, were they coming to help them?  
  
~*~  
  
"WHAT THE HELL YOU MEAN WE CAN'T GO SAVE THEM! THAT'S BULLSH*T!" Yusuke slammed his hands down on the table. One of the healers was talking with him and Kurama, and they refused to give them aid, or permission in saving their friends.   
  
"It's broad day light! You'll get caught, and we'll have more hostages! We're sorry, but we have to sacrifice them to save the others!"  
  
"SACRIFICE THEM?!" Yusuke shouted enraged, tears pouring down his cheeks. "ONE OF THEM IS ALREADY DEAD! DEAD, YOU HEAR ME!? DEAD!!" Yusuke took in a shuddering breath, "There is still hope for Hiei...a...and I want to get my friend's body back...so that he can come back when all this is over..."  
  
The healer shook his head. "I'm sorry. When all this is over, we'll explain the situation to Koenma...Then maybe we'll go back and find their bodies."  
  
Yusuke laughed bitterly and shook his head, "Demons....they eat humans...they could be trying to make a feast out of our friends...." Yusuke was gasping as if he had no breath. Kurama was not reacting like Yusuke. He was taking this another way.  
  
"EXPLAIN?" Kurama snarled grabbing the Healer in front of him, "EXPLAIN HOW WE LEFT ARE FRIENDS TO DIE, AND ON TOP OF THAT, DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO SAVE THEM?!" Kurama threw him into the wall, and turned storming out.   
  
Yusuke glared at them all, "If I have to go and save Hiei on foot I will!" He turned pausing. "I won't leave my best friend's body in the hands of a demon." He shook, thinking of all the things that they could do to him.  
  
"He wouldn't leave me there..."  
  
Yusuke and Kurama walked away angrily, and Kurama whispered, "Now what are we going to do?" "We're going to get Hiei." Yusuke stated simply.   
  
"We'll go late tonight. When no one is looking, Hiei's strong, he can hold out long enough for us to get there." Yusuke said nodding his head.  
  
Kurama grabbed his arm, "But what about Kuwabara's body? You said you couldn't leave his body in there!" Yusuke shook. His eyes filled with pain, "I can't, but Kuwabara would have wanted me to save Hiei...ev...even if I can't bring him back, or even if I can't find his body." Yusuke's voice cracked, "I know...that's what he would have wanted. Because I would have wanted the sa...same thing." Yusuke turned, trying fiercely to hide his conflicted emotions. "Until tonight."  
  
Yusuke walked quickly away, and Kurama felt tears in his eyes. Yusuke was sacrificing a great deal for Hiei and himself. Kurama's heart ached, and he realized it was deeper than that. Yusuke wasn't just doing this for his friendship with Hiei, but he was doing it for his and Kuwabara's.  
  
Indeed, Kuwabara would have wanted it this way.  
  
'Yusuke...you blame yourself...and to make up for it...your going to do your best to bring Hiei back...' Kurama's chest tightened at the thought. He wished, and hoped that Kuwabara was still alive, and not dead like Kurama saw.   
  
But...that needle...and how he froze up...and...  
  
He also wished, Hiei could hold out. Even if just for a little bit.  
  
~*~  
  
Hiei hit the wall from another blow. Three hours of nonstop torture. It was mostly being beaten, they hadn't brought the weapons out yet. Hiei and Kuwabara were unable to fight back. Their chains were now hooked up to chains on the ceiling. and their legs were bond in away, where it hurt to move them.  
  
"Stop."  
  
The main torturer, who called him self Rhim, held up a hand. The two large demon's stepped away from Hiei, and Kuwabara. Rhim had Yellow eyes, and silver hair. His skin an ashy gray. He smiled, the smile of a devil hidden behind a beautiful mask, and took Hiei's chin.  
  
"Not one scream. That is the demon way."  
  
He let him go and looked at Kuwabara. Kuwabara hadn't screamed, but it was obvious by the way he was gasping, that the blows were hurting him more than Hiei. "Your so sick..." Rhim said faking sympathy.  
  
He released Hiei's chin and then took Kuwabara's; he looked into his fevered eyes. "You poor human..."  
  
"I know why I'm si...sick." Kuwabara wheezed. "I'm sick from looking into your eyes."  
  
Hiei felt his eyes widen, why did he have to do that?! "Excuse me human?" Rhim asked between gritted teeth. "Well...you keep look...lookin' into my eyes. Just so you kn..know I don't roll that way."  
  
Hiei blinked, and burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. He wasn't laughing at the humor, he was laughing at the fact that this was not a time for jokes. He was laughing at the timing for Kuwabara's cocky side to reveal itself. Kuwabara was signing his death warrent, and by the easy jokes he did not care a bit.  
  
The other demons were laughing and making cat calls at Rhim.   
  
"GET MY WEAPON!" Rhim yelled. The room went silent and one of the demons left. "Your going to regret that..." Rhim turned to Hiei. "Do you have any information to give to me? Where another way into Spirit World is?"   
  
"Yeah I got sumtin'." Kuwabara murmured, Rhim snapping his head over to him, "Your ugly." Hiei starred at him appalled. He wasn't sure why he'd gototn so dam* cocky, and Hiei wished he could smack Kuwabara in the head and tell him to stop.   
  
Hiei had a sinking suspicion that Kuwabara was doing this on purpose. But for what reason? He shuddered as a thought entered his head, Kuwabara could be doing this for him. He looked at Kuwabara who caught his eye. At that moment he knew, Kuwabara was up to something.   
  
The demon came back, and Rhim took a long metal object. It looked like a thin sword, without the handle. At the tip there was a small ball, that glowed with some unknown power.  
  
"This weapon is very special human..." Rhim smiled sadistically, running the cool metal down Kuwabara's cheek. "Let me show you, but first..." He nodded at the demon's and they cut him down from the ceiling, both holding his elbows, his hands still shackled together.  
  
"Let's start with an easy question, What is your name?" Kuwabara pursed his lips, a heavy tension had fallen in the room, Kuwabara finally glared at him and shook his head. Rhim smiled, and with ease pushed the metal rod into Kuwabara's hand.  
  
Kuwabara's eyes grew wide, and he let out a fierce painful howl. Hiei stared in surprise, if Kuwabara was just being stabbed it couldn't be hurting him that bad, Hiei knew Kuwabara was stronger than that.  
  
He pulled the weapon out, Kuwabara gasping. Hiei starred at Kuwabara's hand, there was no hole, no blood, but a tiny red burn. "As you have just found out, my dear human, this weapon turns your spirit energy against you, and attacks your life energy....so have anything funny to say now?"  
  
Kuwabara's head hung down and he was gasping painfully. Eventually his head came up, starring right at Rhim.  
  
Kuwabara smiled, "I'm sorry were you talking?" The demon frowned and shoved the weapon into Kuwabara's bare chest, right below the collar bone. Kuwabara and Hiei's jackets had both been taken away, but Kuwabara had forgotten his shirt, so his chest lay naked.   
  
There was another howl, and their continued to be several more, for a good two hours. Hiei wrestled against his chains, growling as with each stab, Rhim left the rod in Kuwabara longer. The burns spread over his body, becoming wider and longer.  
  
Kuwabara's legs trembled, and Kuwabara was coughing so hard from his Pneumonia that blood was in the corner of his mouth. His skin was paler than normal, and his lips were cracked, needing moisture. There were several burn marks on Kuwabara, and his pants were ripped where he'd been stabbed.  
  
"I grow impatient...." The demon snarled. Kuwabara looked at him, sweat dripping from his curls, and from his body. "So gro...grow impatient. I'm not stopin' ya..." Rage building up, Rhim shoved the weapon into Kuwabara's knee, and Kuwabara's head threw back, and he screamed so loudly, and painfully, that the demons that held him flinched them selves.   
  
When he pulled it out, Kuwabara would have fallen, if it wasn't for the demons holding him up.  
  
"Your so pathetic Rhim..." Kuwabara murmured. Rhim pulled back his rod, "Enough! Your life ends now!"  
  
"He's right. You are pathetic."  
  
Rhim turned to stare at Hiei, who stared back at him coolly. "What?" Rhim growled. "You've been torturing him for over an hour. A mere human. Torturing the weak to make you feel better, too afraid to torture a demon." Rhim growled, and looked from him to Kuwabara. "Release him!" The demon's dropped Kuwabara, and he grabbed hold of Rhim's clothes before he fell crashing to the ground. Rhim kicked him hard, sending him towards the bed.  
  
His head, shoulders, and arms resting under it, hacking coughs filling the room. "Don't get your filth on me human!" Rhim turned to Hiei, and held out the rod. His torture began on Hiei, but he hardly noticed.   
  
He starred at Kuwabara listening to his coughs. They sounded like the cry of death to his ears.  
  
Hiei knew he had been wrong about Kuwabara surviving two days.   
  
Kuwabara wouldn't last the night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dun dun dun! Well....this is the pace setter. From here things are gonna get worse. It will look like it'll be good and then Boom! Something really horriable happenes...*shakes head* I am so evil! :) PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
These last chapters are just going to be seriouse and sad. There may be happy moments, but war hardly has any happiness. We will join Kurama as he remembers something from the past...A sad song played for friendship that should never be lost....(foreshadowing of death. Another person you'll never exspect) 


	13. Unspoken Promise

It had been several hours later before Rhim gave up. "You are stronger than any other demon I have seen. If I didn't know better I would say you *liked* pain!" He glared at him and turned away. He looked back at Kuwabara who had not moved an inch. "My my..." He smiled at the dangling Hiei, "He hasn't moved in a while has he?"   
  
He looked back at him again and sniffed the air, "Well, I'll leave for now. The smell of decay makes me sick." Hiei growled and glared at him, his body to badly beaten for him to do anything else.  
  
Rhim strode out the room, calling over his shoulder, "Cut him down." The demons did so, and left the room slamming the door, as Hiei stood on quivering legs. Laughing was heard outside the room, and silence echoed in it.  
  
Hiei gave a strange growl and crashed onto the floor. Blood was pouring from his face, and his shirt had been ripped to shreds. His hair drooped from blood, dark bruises, and welts decorated his body like badges on a uniform. One of his arms was dislocated, but with a grunt he shoved it back into place. He grit his teeth, as he shifted, he was almost sure his ribs were broken.  
  
He let out a painful howl, and looked over at Kuwabara. "Hey..." Hiei said his voice sounding hoarse. Hiei had no energy to move, or look at him. He lay on his back eyes on the ceiling. Too weary, and in too much pain, to turn over and spare Kuwabara's body a glance.   
  
"Kuwabara?" Hiei too tired to utter another sound passed out, and realized that he hadn't eaten or had anything to drink in two days.  
  
Hiei's eyes would close to dreams, dreams of horrible measure. Something that would warn him of the bloody future to come. But dreams betray the human mind, and will seem only a dream to our Hiei. And once he wakes, he will have no recollection of the twisted vision he saw.  
  
His eyes finally closed, and they would not open again, until night fall.  
  
~*~  
  
Kurama and Yusuke rode together in the night. They had taken two of the fur covered dragons, and flew stealthily above the clouds. They could not be spotted by either side. They left the other, being as in the last battle the dragon was severely injured.  
  
"We'll have to wait, until they're most vulnerable, and then we can strike." Kurama whispered. Yusuke looked at him, "When is that?"   
  
"By dawn. I've been observing there antics. At dawn, they move slow, from rough sleeping conditions, or all night guarding. That is when they are sluggish, and stupid." Kurama's wise eyes flickered downwards. "They're always stupid..." Yusuke muttered and then his eyes went wide.  
  
"Hiei could already be dead!" Yusuke hissed.  
  
"No. Demon torture, can last for hundreds of years, for us anyways. They will not kill Hiei. They are not that generous. He will have to die from his own accord."  
  
"But he's so strong..."  
  
"Meaning, he could live out his entire days being tortured." Kurama looked sadly over at Yusuke, "We don't need to worry. Dawn is merely an hour away."  
  
Kurama paused and Kuwabara flashed in his head. He looked at Yusuke, bitterness in his eyes. Yusuke needed his friend, just as badly as he need Hiei. "Yusuke...we could attack now...and see if we can get Kuwabara's body out."  
  
Yusuke stroked the mane of the great beast he rode on. With soft brown eyes he looked back at Kurama, "That would cause a bigger chance of losing Hiei, right?" Yusuke turned away. "We can't take a big risk like that...I...I know Kuwabara would have understood."  
  
Kurama watched as the moon reflected his young friend's tears. The furry dragons seemed to understand Yusuke's pain, and a soft melody like tune came out of their mouths. It was as if they were singing.   
  
It was so beautiful.  
  
Yusuke cracked a smile, and hummed along with it, seeming to know the song. Kurama hummed as well, the tune being fairly easy to follow. It was a sad tune. It went slow, as if it should be played on a piano. The notes were going upwards, and then at the soft climax it went back down, but still continued it's climb upwards; stretching the bitterness, and pain of the song.  
  
Kurama blinked. He had heard Boeton sing words for this exact tune. He had asked her about it and she told him that this song was heard from a dying soul.  
  
~flashback~  
  
"What?" Kurama asked, eyes confused.  
  
Boeton smiled, "We don't just feel how the people die, we hear them. It's like when your body dies it gives off a calling. Like notes rising on a piano, and then descending. It is even heard, when someone is near death, or witnessing it. It depends on what happens. This is what calls us to the dead, so we can find them."  
  
Boeton smiled at the others behind him, Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Koenma, who currently were arguing. "I hear this tune from you all very much. Yusuke's still plays, but faintly. He has died already, and so it plays very softly. For death seems to have never left him."  
  
Boeton's eyes rested back on Kurama, "When you think of your past, yours plays, as does Hiei's and Kuwabara's." Kurama knew about Hiei, but Kuwabara? Kurama wasn't going to pressure Boeton in telling him about Kuwabara's past. The red head knew if he wanted to know what happened in Kuwabara's past, he had to ask, and then wait.  
  
If it was anything like Hiei's or his own, then this would not be an easy story to tell.  
  
"The loudest time I had heard the song playing was when Kuwabara lay on the ground at Genkai's. After what Rando did, but you already know about that."  
  
Kurama looked at her, "Why was it the saddest?"   
  
Boeton looked up at him, and shook her head. "You don't know?" Her smile disappeared and she became serious, "Yusuke and Kuwabara were destined to be together, to be best friends. Their fate, was to grow close, to become stronger by each others support. But that unsaid promise was broken, as Kuwabara lay close to death. He was just like Yusuke when it came to the child he saved."  
  
Boeton glanced back at them, and looked again at Kurama, "Like Yusuke, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kuwabara was never meant to fight Rando. Their promise of their future friendship was fading away as death called him. So the song played."  
  
Kurama got chills when Boeton stared at him, her pink eyes seeming to turn a lighter shade of red. She looked so serious and leaned upwards, her breath but a whisper.  
  
"It played, for the friendship that was not supposed to be lost..."  
  
~end of flashback~  
  
'The friendship not supposed to be lost....'  
  
Kurama blinked shaking his head. He looked down at the beast under him, singing the song, and over at Yusuke. 'They are singing for Yusuke, and his friendship with Kuwabara, and how it is now lost...'   
  
What Kurama had guessed was a very good conclusion. But, it was wrong. The beast's sang for someone else...someone's future death.  
  
Someone who will go unsaid, until you hear this lovely beast's song again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I like this chapter...makes me happy....PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
Yusuke and Kurama must break in to help their friends. But before the story ends, one of our dear Rekai will leave this world, and enter the next. Death coming up! *hint* Not Kuwabara, and I'm going to get killed so bad for this characters death... 


	14. Mourning My Upcoming Death

Hiei's eyes flashed open, and he shook his aching head. "Uhg..." He coughed, feeling as if ash was blanketing his throat and mouth. He shook his head, and looked down at the floor. At first he forgot where he was, and was confused at the rough wood under him. Then like a flash, it was all back.  
  
He looked back over, and saw Kuwabara.  
  
He still had not moved.   
  
"Ku...Kuw..."  
  
His voice to dry to form words, he crawled over to him and pulled him out from under the bed. He saw all the burns, and wounds of all sorts. Hiei felt Kuwabara's skin. His temperature was low, too low. Kuwabara needed warmth or his Pneumonia would surely kill him.  
  
Hiei ripped the sheets off the bed and threw them over Kuwabara. He bent down to shake Kuwabara when he heard a breath of a whisper, "Hiei, keep up what your doing and listen."  
  
It took Hiei only a moment to figure out Kuwabara was awake, and talking to him. Through half open eyes, and talking through a slightly open mouth, barely moving his lips, Kuwabara told him, "I was never that severely injured to not stand on my own. I made sure Rhim would come for me, and you, did what I hoped you would do. You got him to cut me down, him thinking I could barely breathe."  
  
Hiei felt a flash of anger for being somehow used into Kuwabara's plan. "I pretended to be worse off than I really was, and I fell, clutching him remember?" Hiei gave a brief nod, "Look in my left hand, pretend to be checking my pulse, I don't know if they're watching us."  
  
Hiei toyed with the thought of complimenting Kuwabara for thinking for once, but decided not too. He hadn't before, why start? He checked Kuwabara's hand, and found the key to their chains in it. Hiei couldn't help but smirk. "You bas*ard...you pick pocketing bas*ard!" Hiei laughed under his breath.  
  
Still unmoving his lips, Kuwabara hissed, "That little "cussing me out session" had better have been in a friendly way."   
  
Hiei smirked, and looked in his eyes. Kuwabara and him both couldn't resist to grin like fools at each other.  
  
They had made it through the mines. They had begun a stronger friendship.   
  
Unknown to them if they had a future, if they both lived, they would fight as always. But their bouts of hot angry words, would be cooled by the laughter of friendship.  
  
Hiei undid his chains and gave the key to Kuwabara. "Hurry, we've got to make our escape as soon as they open the door..." Hiei looked at the walls, "If only there wasn't a shield inside here, then I could fire a blast, and destroy all these dam*ed scum."  
  
Hiei looked back down at Kuwabara who still had not moved, "Kuwabara!? what are you waiting for human!?"  
  
"Hiei..." Kuwabara locked eyes with him. "I can't....I have no strength to move." What Kuwabara had just admitted to Hiei was very difficult for him. He never told Hiei of any of his weaknesses. and he just now had told him of his incapability.   
  
There was silence, and Hiei undid his chains. That was the signature to sign their friendship. The simple gesture, confirmed it.   
  
Hiei wrapped the white blanket completely around Kuwabara, except his head. "Your too cold." Kuwabara smirked at the comment, "Look who's talking?" Hiei glared at him. "Watch your self." Hiei smirked sitting him up and leaning him against the bed.   
  
Hiei looked at Kuwabara's current state. His hair was down, his body cool, moist, and clammy. His cheeks were sunken in, and he resembled a leper with all the burn marks on his body. Hiei frowned as his red orbs took his friend in.  
  
"You foolish human."   
  
Hiei heard sounds of someone coming up the stairs. "Can you stand?" Kuwabara shook his head, not looking up. "I can't feel any of me." He looked at Hiei with his slightly blue cracked lips, "I'm so cold." Kuwabara's voice had turned serious, and was cracking. He had the look of a child, who had lost his way.  
  
Hiei felt a bit of panic rise in him, "That is because you are sick, but your shi* with honor made you come and get me. It's your own dam* fault your cold." Hiei pulled Kuwabara up, and had his arm around Kuwabara's waist, while, Kuwabara's other arm rest around Hiei's shoulder.  
  
"You'll be warm at camp...Dawn approaches..." The footsteps got louder, "As does are freedom."   
  
Just as the door opened, there was a loud crash behind them. Hiei turned himself around, dragging Kuwabara, seeing Yusuke and Kurama. "HIEI!" Kurama cried looking as if every emotion had struck him. His eyes shown so brightly on his skin, tears dripping down his face. Yusuke was there, but he was turned around fighting demons that dared to shoot at them.  
  
Hiei ran to them with difficulty do to his injuries, and leapt onto the dragon in front of Kurama. "Yusuke!" Said person turned around. and Hiei helped set Kuwabara down in front of him.  
  
Yusuke and Kurama both starred at him wide eyed. "Your alive!" Kurama gasped, a smile on his face, his eye glazed over with tears.   
  
Kuwabara rest on Yusuke, and looked up, "Hey buddy." He wheezed.  
  
Yusuke forgot he was in a war, forgot he was being shot at, he forgot everything. He wrapped his arms around Kuwabara and sobbed. He sobbed for all it was worth. He had Kuwabara back, and he knew nothing else. He laughed, cried, and yelled at Kuwabara as he held him. Kuwabara tried to hide his face as tears slipped down his cheeks.   
  
"Easy Urameshi, 'm fine." Kuwabara whispered. Yusuke nodded against his friends nude back, tears soaking his skin.  
  
"We must move!" Kurama urged, not wishing to break the reunion up. Yusuke nodded, and the two dragons took off. Hiei turned around blasting there buildings, and destroying several demons. He smiled, his eyes flashing, and laughed, "Now I feel better."   
  
He jumped as Kurama hugged him from behind as the dragon flew away from the enemy."I'm so...so glad your okay." Kurama's voice was shaking, and Hiei felt tears drip down his bloody skin.  
  
"Are you crying fox?"  
  
"Yes."   
  
Hiei went silent, and pat his friend's hand. "It's okay. I'm okay. I'm...I'm glad your fine as well...NOW LET GO!" Kurama laughed and released him, and the group rose higher in the sky, avoiding blasts of all sorts.  
  
"Your going to need some new clothes." Yusuke said out of the blue. Kuwabara chuckled, "That was random." He winced and coughed, he was so cold, and his chest so tight. "Kuwabara?" Yusuke whispered, throat tight.  
  
"I'm fine!" Kuwabara wheezed, his throat hoarse. Yusuke held onto him, burying his face in Kuwabara's neck. "I was so...I was afraid you were dead, and they had your body, and that we'd never be able to bring you back without your body. You really scared me man. Don't die." Yusuke choked back a sob, and Kuwabara reached back, rubbing a cold hand on his head.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't die. After what I went through, I better not die." Kuwabara let his hand drop limply on his waist. "You should thank Hiei, you know....he...he saved me. Not too mention all those wounds he got...are...are cuz he protected me..." Kuwabara's eyes closed, and he fell into a state of half conciseness.  
  
Hiei looked at Kuwabara with surprise, the turned away, a small smile on his face. "Hmm. The fool is so stupid. He was the one that got the keys off the demon. Bas*rd, nearly got himself killed." Hiei said glaring at Kuwabara. "Jus' shut up." Kuwabara mumbled.   
  
Kurama and Yusuke both smiled, and broke out in relieved joyous laughter.  
  
The dragons landed, and Hiei hopped off, Yusuke helping Kuwabara down. Healers were rushing to meet them. Healers had taken Kuwabara, and several crowded around Hiei, surprised at the severity of his wounds. Kurama stood up to get down but then.  
  
CRACK!  
  
The air was painted red, as a thick mist sprayed in the air. The group turned to see Kurama standing on the dragon, his head pointed upwards, a gaping whole in his stomach. His red hair clung to his sweaty, dirty, yet beautiful skin. His head slowly came down, and he let his chin drop into his chest.  
  
He touched his stomach, seeing the blood up close. He turned his head to look at Hiei, eyes wide, and trembling. His green eyes locked with Hiei's red ones and they stood their sharing more in silence than in words. A breathy gasp came out of Kurama's lips, in the form of one questionable word.  
  
"Hiei?"  
  
Kurama fell back down on the great beast, and slid off the dragon. Landing at his feet.   
  
Kurama found himself at the crossroads of life and death. His eyes were heavy, and the light was fading. The dragons were humming that song again, and he realized something.   
  
"Ho...How ironic...the...dr...dragons weren't mourn...mourning the los...loss of friendship between...K...Kuwabara and Yusuke..."  
  
The light left the Kitsune's eyes.  
  
"The...they were mourning...m..my up...upcoming..." Kurama let out a sigh, his skin whiter beyond belief, "death."  
  
His body lay cold on the ground.   
  
He was dead.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ well. Now you know whos dead. Make my death quick. well...the next chapter is depressing. I can promise that. T_T PREVIEW FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
The group have now lost faith and need time to recover. Hiei is suffering the most. Losing two of the people he cares for. They suffer another blow when they hear news of Kuwabara's steadilly getting worse ailment. Hope is lost. Speaking of Hope...a familiar face comes into play. 


	15. Hope Is Killed

Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke sat with the Healers, tears streaming down their faces. No words were spoken, and Hiei sat still, so still you would think he was dead from a distance. He was in shock, how had this happened? Just like that Kurama, the strong warrior he'd known for so long....was gone.  
  
Gems poured off Hiei's face like there was no tomorrow, but he didn't care. Let there be no tomorrow! Let the whole dam* world know his pain. He just wanted Kurama back.  
  
Yusuke pulled at his loose hair. He was crying, his eyes red, and face flushed. His lips quivered from holding back screams, and he clutched onto Kuwabara's hand.  
  
Kuwabara could not weep as they did. Kuwabara could only suffer. His Pneumonia had become so severe in Hiei's and his short but horrible time at the prison they were locked in. He coughed weakly, and cried when his body stopped shaking from his convulsions of pain.  
  
Hiei cast his eyes on him. 'Your like that because of me....they're all gone because of me....and now the fool....now Kuwabara is going too.'  
  
"I'm losing everyone." Hiei suddenly spoke what he had just been thinking.  
  
Yusuke looked up at him.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Mali...Kurama..." Hiei looked at him. He was not angry or clam, He looked as if he was dead, and had lost everything that held any importance to him. This was the most horrible face Yusuke had ever seen on Hiei.  
  
"I never said this. And I don't intend to again. He was my best friend. He's dead." Hiei looked at his hands, and starred at them his body and mind closed to the outside world. Yusuke grabbed his hand. "He knew that Hiei. He's coming back. As soon as this thing is over he's coming back...Hiei! Look at me!"  
  
"Kuwabara....hes already half way there....then you...and finally me..." Hiei ranted. Yusuke swore loudly, finding nothing he could say. When he finally found the words he whispered, "Please Hiei...just look at me."  
  
Hiei's face tilted slightly up, and Yusuke pulled him into a hug. Hiei looked like a lost child, separated from his home. "It okay Hiei. Everything will be okay..." Yusuke said clutching onto him. "Your not going to be alone. Your not losing me, or Kuwabara."  
  
Kuwabara's loud sickly cough interrupted the hug, and they both cried out when they looked at their human friend. He was coughing up blood, his eyes wide. He tried to stop, but blood kept coming for a full five minutes.  
  
A Healer stopped what he was doing, and looked at Kuwabara. He reached down and took Kuwabara in his arms, turning away.   
  
"Where are you taking him?!" Yusuke cried panicked, his throat closing. "He's going into a personal tent. He is gravely ill, and this cold air isn't helping him any. We'll be able to keep better track of him in here." The demon told Yusuke and Hiei who trailed behind. Yusuke followed him, taking Hiei's wrist and dragging him. The red eyed demon starred vacantly, his soul lost, and gone with Kurama's body.   
  
The three, along with the healer entered a tent. Kuwabara was stripped down naked, and his two friends starred at him in horror. Kuwabara's body was wasting away before their eyes. His arms where small compared to his normal look, and his legs seemed too bony, and the veins were easily seen. His body had a gray tent, and you could tell he was undernourished.  
  
He was redressed in something warmer, and longer. "He's lost almost 60% of his muscle mass, and has no food, or nutrition in his body. He isn't doing to well. But he is very strong, probably the strongest human fighter here. He might just pull out of this."  
  
He piled up blankets on Kuwabara and whispered, "But if not, at least he died warm..." and with that said, left shutting the flap of the tent. "Kuwabara." Yusuke whispered, he and Hiei went to him. Hiei looked tired and old, his voice came at hoarse as he whispered, "Not you too."   
  
Kuwabara reached out, and grabbed Hiei. "Don't do anything stupid." He gazed at them with fevered eyes. "If something hap...happens to me, which it..it won't, don't do anythin' stu...stupid. Promi..Promise me..." Kuwabara choked, and Yusuke nodded, "Fine Kuwabara."  
  
Hiei gave a slow nod, and looked at Kuwabara. His hand came to rest on his forehead. "Showing emotion shorty?" Kuwabara whispered still crying from the loss of Kurama, and the incredible pain he was in. "He loved you, you were his family." Kuwabara's voice was going softer, and coming out in short gasps with each word. He was trying so hard to keep talking.  
  
Yusuke dropped on his knees and clung to Kuwabara's sleeve. The copper haired teen's face was so frightening. His eyes were wide, and looked like little dots on his face. His lips were cracked and bleeding, a bit of dried vomit from earlier clung to the corner of his mouth. Purple veins, like tiny roots could be seen on his face, as his sopping wet hair stuck to his face.  
  
"Ku...Kurama is...still here. He's not leavin' yet." Kuwabara gasped, Yusuke held Kuwabara in his eyes, and with his soul. "Kuwabara...don't die." His face rest on Kuwabara's stomach. "I can't lose you again...I THOUGHT YOU DIED AND IT DESTROYED ME! DON'T DO IT FOR REAL! PLEASE DON'T! DON'T YOU LEAVE ME, YOU AS*!"  
  
Kuwabara gave a small smile. "Just listen...to me. The war's almost over...I can fe...feel it." He was gasping out the words painfully. "Soon...it will end soon...and we'll all...be...to...together...again...." Kuwabara sighed and passed out, going into a deep sleep.   
  
Hiei slumped next to Yusuke's side and pried Kuwabara's hand off him, their emotions on the verge of breaking, Yusuke hugged Hiei crying onto his shoulder. Hiei brought a comforting arm up, tear gems still littering the ground. "Everything will be okay...it will." Yusuke sobbed, and Hiei nodded. "I hate this...how could I care so much about things like you?" Hiei asked out loud, burying his head in Yusuke's shirt, clutching to him tighter.  
  
The two jumped to feel a hand on their shoulders. A familiar demon with Gold hair and silver eyes was kneeling at their sides. "Yuki?" Yusuke gasped surprised, and wiped his tears, Hiei doing the same. Yuki was their friend they had met when Kuwabara had been shot all those times not too long ago. "I'm so sorry, I heard about Kurama..." Hiei turned away.   
  
He knew what it was like to lose someone you cared about, having lost his brother and friends. Only he and little Hope remained.  
  
Yusuke punched the ground, and he noticed his power was building up as it had done when he thought Kuwabara died, and now that *Kurama* was actually gone...  
  
"Where is Hope?" Yusuke finally asked, forgetting about his power increase. He relaxed his hand, his tears slowing, and began looking for the 13 year old girl with lime green hair.   
  
Yuki gave a sudden choke of a cough, and tears filled his eyes. He turned away shamefully.   
  
"She...She was killed...when the water flooded the trech...she...she didn't know how to swim."  
  
There was a sad tension in the air, and Yusuke closed his eyes tight thinking of that little girl trapped in the water, struggling to breathe.  
  
"We're sorry for your loss as well." Hiei spoke, starring back at him. Yuki shook his head, not looking up at them, "You know...I had a dream, that when...when this was over, every one of us would all..all wind up in this great big hall, and we'd all be together again. Looking at each other...as if...as if none of this had ever happened."  
  
"Hope, Kai, Janson, Kuseem...all of my friends....Do you think that will happen?"   
  
The room was silent. "I...I don't know...but we'll meet...whether it be in death of life." Yusuke said taking Yuki's shoulder. After a moment, Yusuke ventured, "So, Hope drowned?" "Saving me." Yuki broke in. Hiei winced, just like all his friends had been doing for him.  
  
  
  
"I'd been shot. I couldn't move on my own. She took my arm, and dragged me to the Healers, and went back for my jacket. I was healed quickly and got up in time to see her getting my jacket. I waved, and she....she waved back." Yuki shook hard, "Then a tidal wave swept her away..."  
  
Yuki looked up, "She was coated with blood when I found her, eyes open, and the Healer's told me her lungs, and stomach were filled with water. If...If I just hadn't waved she'd be fine." Yuki gave a light laugh, "We had been talking, maybe a month before this war." Another laugh. "I am very fond of her...she's like a sister...and she told me she didn't know how to swim. So I offered to teach her."  
  
Yuki smiled, "I was going to teach her, but then this war started, how ironic is that?" Hiei seemed to be calming down, but his mind stayed on Kurama. He remembered their missions, and quiet days that had together. He never needed to talk with Kurama for him to understand him. Yuki's story was flooding all these thoughts back...of him.  
  
Of Kurama.  
  
Hiei saw Yusuke look back at Kuwabara, and Hiei knew it was the same with them. Yusuke and Kuwabara mourned with him, but Hiei suffered more. Kurama was his first and real friend. The first thing to enter his cold heart. And the longest person to stay in his heart.  
  
"Kurama died standing up, victorious from saving me and the fool." Hiei stated starring off.  
  
Yuki and Yusuke looked at them, both crying.  
  
"Even in death he was graceful."  
  
"Hiei..." Yusuke reached out for him, but Hiei rose.   
  
"I'm going to kill those bas*ards...every one of them. They won't be forgiven. I won't let any of them leave this battle, unless they are dead!" He headed for the tent flap, the other two's eyes on him.   
  
He stopped when he heard Kuwabara cough, and the sound of blood. "Yusuke, don't let him die." Yusuke looked at Hiei. Hiei was crying again and looked back at him as well as Yuki. "I don't want you to lose your best friend." Hiei closed the tent flap leaving behind his final words.  
  
"I don't want you to be feeling what I'm feeling."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hmm...mentally stable? I doubt it...PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
Kuwabara is close to death, and uses his spiritual awareness to enter a realm for the dead so he can talk to Kurama....well that's all I can think of...oh wait. Hiei tries to smother Kuwabara! ^__^ Ha! I remembered! 


	16. Smother

Kuwabara lay in bed coughing and choking. Energy blasts, bombs, people screaming, and much more were going on outside his tent. But he was aware of none of this. He heard and saw nothing. Trapped in a deep sleep, where he wandered the realm of the dead...searching for someone. Someone who he knew wasn't too far...  
  
It was black inside, and Kuwabara, gratefully, felt no pain. Kuwabara, looked around the darkness, following the presence of a familiar soul he recognized. There were other souls there, all from the war. They were here, waiting to get into Spirit world...  
  
'Kuwabara.'  
  
He stopped and turned, his curls brushing his face. Kurama stood in front of him. His read hair was flowing with a breeze that did not exist. He was frowning. 'Leaving your body like this, is not helping your injuries, if anything it's making them worse. This could kill you for sure.'  
  
Kuwabara smiled happily as Kurama lectured him. It was Kurama. He was here...  
  
'I know.' Kuwabara replied. He blinked realizing his mouth wasn't moving. He was thinking all this. Tears slipped down his face, as he remembered that once he left his dear friend would have to stay.  
  
Kurama smiled sadly and wiped his tears away. 'Come, come Kuwabara...it's all right...tell me why your here! You know you shouldn't be!'  
  
'But I need to know...do you know the outcome...everything that will happen? Who will win?'  
  
'Yes, now that I am dead.' Kuwabara smiled and asked, 'Can you tell me what will happen in this war? If we'll win, if we can succeed.'  
  
Kurama smiled, 'Kuwabara do not tempt fate. If I tell you anything, it could change, for the best or for the worst. You know that...'  
  
Kuwabara nodded, and approached Kurama. He wrapped his arms around Kurama, who blinked with surprise. Kurama hugged him back and smiled, 'I miss you too, Kuwabara.' Kuwabara pulled away. 'That was from everyone. Especially Hiei, he...I don't think he's doing so well.'  
  
Kurama nodded gravely, 'Your correct, he is not taking this well...if you can tell him, even if he doesn't believe you I'm watching him. Please?' Kuwabara nodded, and smiled, 'You can count on me.'  
  
'I know I can.'  
  
Kurama looked at him.   
  
He frowned once more, 'It's not good I can see you so clearly...Your fuzzy but easy to recognize...your close to death. Leave Kuwabara.' He placed his hand on Kuwabara's shoulder, 'We will meet once this is all over.' Kuwabara nodded.  
  
He looked around the place and smiled, 'This isn't the first time I've done this...' He looked around. 'The very first time I did this was at Genkai-San's tournament. I was laying on the ground, and I heard Yusuke's soul cry out. Not him, his soul.'   
  
Kuwabara looked back at Kurama, a puzzled look on his face, 'I don't know how I did it...I just knew I needed to help him.' Kurama smiled, 'Your spirit sense is greater than I've ever seen. Much greater than a demons. If your feelings are strong enough you can do this.' Kurama smiled at him, and began walking away.  
  
'Kurama...we'll win this war and bring you back...'  
  
Kurama looked back sadly, 'I'm afraid...that one of you may be coming to see me even before this war ends..." He turned walking away again, with a bitter smile. He hummed the song of death he had heard from those white dragons.   
  
Kurama froze. He was hearing that song clearly, and looked back to see Kuwabara leaving. 'Oh no...' Kurama ran back, still able to hear the music, 'WAIT! KUWABARA!'  
  
Kurama reached where Kuwabara was, just as his friend disappeared. 'Kuwabara...please let my suspicions be wrong...'   
  
'Kurama.'  
  
Kurama turned, and his face went from surprised, to happy, and finally to relieved.   
  
'I can't believe it's you.'  
  
A soft smile and a weak tired face. 'I'm so happy to see you...'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~*******  
  
Kuwabara's eyes fluttered open and he felt a cool rag being placed on his head. He looked up and saw Yusuke. Fresh blood was on his face. "Ur...Urameshi." Kuwabara croaked. Yusuke looked down at him and smiled.  
  
"Hey...you've been out of it for almost two days." Yusuke rubbed at his eyes. "Glad to see you awake." "So he lives. Joy." Kuwabara looked over seeing Hiei. He couldn't look over that long, feeling incredibly strong pain in his head. He had to turne his head back to where it was, and grunted with the coursing pain running a marathon through his head. Hiei drifted over so Kuwabara wouldn't have to turn to look at him.  
  
Hiei looked like hell.  
  
His skin was ashy, and his eyes bloodshot. Kuwabara wondered if Hiei had been eating, for his small friend's cheeks were sunken in.   
  
"How you feeling?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara ignored Yusuke and whispered, "Kur...Kurama's watchin' you...you Hiei..." Kuwabara passed out again, Hiei starring in shock at him. "Fool..." Hiei growled. "Maybe not..." Yusuke whispered.  
  
Hiei turned to look at him. "As much as I wish it weren't true...he...Kuwabara is very close to death...maybe....he talked to Kurama...and...Kuwabara...will goto...goto meet him...so...soo..." Yusuke couldn't finish and Hiei turned away. "He's not that close to death Yusuke. His spirit it actually stronger than the other day."  
  
Hiei left the tent and slowed his walk once he was far off. He could feel the happiness coming off Yusuke from what he said, "I'm sorry Yusuke...I had to lie to you..." Kuwabara *was* close...far too close.   
  
He was dead, only his friendship for Yusuke, and not wanting to abandon him was left clinging to his corpse.   
  
'But the fool always seems to come out on top. Not dying by broken bones and a twisted body, not dying by his energy being drained or being plummeted towards lava, not dying fighting after getting deadly wounds, not dying when a hand was in his chest, and not dying when he was kidnapped....and there are always more occasions soon after those...'  
  
Somehow Kuwabara always seemed to survive, he was as stubborn as a mule. "Phe...he'll live." Hiei's thought drifted to what Kuwabara had said. He felt his temper rise. "Sick or not he didn't have the right to say it. Dam* you human, mocking me with petty words of kindness!" Hiei growled and smashed the ground.   
  
He looked out towards the battlefield. That was his only reprieve from the memories of Kurama. From the memory of Kurama's face paler than the moon, and the blood dripping through the hole on his back. Hiei growled again, cursing Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Koenma, this stupid war, but mostly himself.  
  
He marched towards the battle field. It was the only place where his mind was not consumed with thought, and his heart with hate. It scared him how angry he was.   
  
Hiei made a whining sound as he remembered the horrible mistake he had almost made. He'd...he had tried to something awful. Something he knew would haunt him until he told Kuwabara...what he almost did to him.  
  
Hiei had almost smothered Kuwabara.  
  
He had tried to kill Kuwabara, for no reason. He went into his tent with intentions to smother him. Hiei gripped a pillow in his hand. Kuwabara was suffering...and he thought he'd help end it. He had also thought after Kuwabara he would kill Yusuke, and so on. He'd keep killing until the pain went away. Until their pain was gone, and his own had faded away.  
  
And if his pain hadn't faded away, then he could easily take his life. He knew just how he was going to do it. Something simple...he was going to throw himself in the water and stay under until his lungs burned. Until he couldn't breathe. Until he'd drowned.  
  
But something stopped Hiei.  
  
He want in the tent, pillow in hand, and saw Kuwabara laying there, his chest struggling with each breath. His lips pale, and cracked so badly they bled. Cold sweat soaking his hair, and moistening his skin. His hands clenched the sheets, as if, even in sleep, he could find no peace from the pain. There was even dried vomit in the corner of his mouth.  
  
He looked lonely there, and the pain of his ailment caused tears to stream down Kuwabara's pale face. He looked incredibly alone.  
  
But he was not alone.  
  
Yusuke sat next to him, his head laying near his, and one of his arms gripping onto Kuwabara's shirt. It was a very uncomfortable position yet he slept there, looking as peaceful as could be. Yusuke's face was dirty, and white bandages wrapped around his head, black hair hanging off the bandages, and making him look younger. His hands were black from dirt, mud, and blood. Harsh conditions making his hands coarse.  
  
His dark, battle damaged hands, held onto Kuwabara's pale fragile hand. The hand that had gone thin, and faded burns, from the weapon Rhim used, stood put on the hand. The two hands completely different, clung onto each other, as if they both belonged to the same person.  
  
Hiei froze, fell to his knees, and cried silent tears. He lay curled up in a ball for an hour in that tent, crying in the pillow he had brought with him. What had he been thinking? He wept everything coming to him. Kurama, Mali...he didn't care if he was crying, if his mask hiding his emotions had broken. He didn't care. He just knew he was sad, crushed by the weight of two dead loved ones, and was no longer himself.  
  
When he left, it was almost morning.  
  
Now, Hiei looked out at the battlefield and saw a young boy die in a demon's arms, and he watched as the demon wept; the bitter sobs sounding loud to Hiei's ears. "This is my Hell..." Hiei whispered, "But it won't take me...they will pay...pay for what they did to Kurama, and Mali...and every other death. Every death that has dug into my heart making me weak..."  
  
Hiei rushed forward.  
  
"THEY WILL PAY!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
...Okay I feel bad...Maybe I should be nicer....no, no...can't do that now. Oh well....PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
Yusuke has an anxiety attack, and Kurama sings the song of death to....we're getting close to the end....I had so much fin writing this.... 


	17. OW! FOX!

Yusuke sat up that night with Hiei, both of them tired from war and feeling under nourished. Not from food, but from peace and sunlight. It seemed so dark here. So painful.  
  
"Yuki died."  
  
Hiei looked over at Yusuke, startled by this random comment, "What?" Yusuke looked calmly back at Hiei. "He died, his head was lobbed off. I just saw them put him through the portal." Yusuke seemed extremely calm, except for his eyes. They were tormented, worse than any other soldiers eyes. "He saw it coming, but he stood there. He knew he would not escape the blast." Yusuke ended his description there.   
  
"You saw it?" Hiei asked. "No. A young woman did, She told me. She said before he was killed, he spoke, 'We'll when this war...and I can go home...' " Yusuke want silent, "I want to go home Hiei." His voice was so tired, it didn't seem real. Hiei became dreadfully aware he was breathing quicker. "I want to go home...now. Go back to the time when we just did missions. Got our butts kicked, but won in the end. All of us going home, me and Kuwabara bit*hing together, arguing who had the worst wound." Yusuke laughed.  
  
"I want to go back to those days."  
  
"We will, have you not noticed? The demons are growing thin in troops, as well as us. We're all going to die here, and then we can all go home." Hiei said cynically, and cursed. "There are rumors going around, that Koenma has died. Enma will have to take over where his son left off." Hiei starred at him, "That means no one will come back! He's a cheeky bas*ard." Hiei spat at his name.  
  
"It's only rumors." Yusuke went silent, "Do you think he'd even care if his son, his only son died?" Hiei was stunned by this question. "He treats his son like and expendable worker, if Koenma did die...I think Boeton and us would be the only ones who mourned for him." Yusuke spoke softly.   
  
He chuckled lightly, "The conversations I bring up when I'm losing it..." Yusuke laughed again, and Hiei began to get worried, Yusuke was breathing raggedly now. "We all seem to have something in common. Koenma's father's an as*, I never met my dad, Kurama's real dad is dead," Hiei winced at the sound of his friends name, "Kuwabara's dad is dead, and as for yours, you never speak of him. So I know nothing of him." Yusuke began to laugh, and Hiei shook him.  
  
"What's wrong with you!?" Yusuke had tears pouring down his face, "Isn't it funny, about all our dad's?" A Healer came over, hearing Yusuke's babbling, and pulled Yusuke by his feet. "Dam* Post Dramatic stress, he needs medicine." Hiei followed the Healer as he took off. He place Yusuke on a cot, and turned to Hiei. "Speak to him calmly. I'm giving him medicine to make him relax." Hiei took Yusuke's hand, and Yusuke gripped it so hard, Hiei knew if he was any weaker, his wrist would break.   
  
"Yusuke. You got to calm down." Hiei said roughly, as if trying to drill it into his friend's head. Yusuke was still laughing tears dripping down his eyes like water falls. "Hiei...now you and me will both have something in common. We both lost our best friends!" Yusuke continued to laugh even as the healer placed the shot filled with a medicine into his arm.  
  
Hiei looked at Yusuke an angry scowl on his face. "Kuwabara still lives." Yusuke began to calm down, sleep overtaking him. "No...he is going to die...I can feel it...He's going to die!" More laughter. "Death is coming...go away Boeton! When he dies," Yusuke began to sober up, "and he will, you and me...lets go into the battle field and blow...blow up everything...for Kurama, and Kuwab..." Yusuke didn't finish falling asleep.  
  
Hiei reluctantly let go of Yusuke, and he whispered, "May I lay down...too please?" Hiei had never felt so weak, cowardly, of helpless. He'd never felt these feeling before. He felt as if he was going to lose everything, and become nothing more than a confused beast. He felt as if he was going to become what Yusuke had just done. Mindless and babbling about God only knows what.  
  
The Healer nodded, and offered Hiei a cot, and a blanket.  
  
Hiei lay down, and instantly fell into a sleep.  
  
~*~Hiei's Dream~*~  
  
Hiei opened his eyes, everything was bright. He shielded his face and looked around. He was in a light blue place, no ground, no nothing. Just the color blue.   
  
"Hiei."  
  
He turned and felt his heart stop. "Kurama."   
  
Said redhead smiled. He waved at his friend, and Hiei slowly approached. "Kurama...is that you?" Kurama cocked his head, "Who else could I be?" Hiei smirked, hiding his joy and relief. He was back in control of things.   
  
Everything was normal again.  
  
"Kurama...I was having the strangest dream..." Kurama smiled and asked, "What abou-" Kurama stopped talking and he was replaced with what Hiei saw when Kurama died.  
  
Pale skin, wide eyes, red blood. Kurama swayed and fell on his stomach rolling to his side. Hiei froze, and like an ocean Kurama's blood filled the blue emptiness.   
  
Hiei floundered, as waves of his best friend's blood washed over him. It was just like the time when he and Kuwabara had been dragged through the trench by water. He was swept away, unable to grasp for air. This was Kurama's blood.  
  
It was getting revenge. Hiei killed this blood's holder. Hiei went limp. 'Come...let me die...'  
  
'No, Hiei.'   
  
Something grabbed his wrist. Hiei was pulled out of the ocean, and wrapped into someone's arms. There was no blood on Hiei, and he clung to Kurama desperately.  
  
'Oh Hiei...this is not like you at all.' Hiei looked up and saw Kurama. "Are you real this time?" Kurama knelt down his face in Hiei's hair. 'Yes...I'm real. Hiei you mustn't mourn for me...I'm coming back.' Kurama pulled away gripping Hiei's shoulders.  
  
'What happened to the Hiei I knew? Grouchy and angry, a strong fighter. You can win this war..its already coming to a close...'  
  
Hiei gripped Kurama's shirt, and he looked into Kurama's eyes. "Do you blame me...for your death?" Kurama's mouth opened wide, and he smacked Hiei's head.  
  
"OW! FOX!"   
  
Kurama glared at him. 'Is that why you've been acting this way?! How could I ever blame you. I was killed by my own misfortune!' Kurama smiled and sighed. He placed a hand on Hiei's cheeks and said soothingly, 'Be at peace my friend.'   
  
Hiei felt everything that had been bothering him leave, the chains, the weight, everything disappeared. He sunk to the ground true exhaustion bringing him to his knees. Kurama held him. 'Sleep now.' Kurama smiled.  
  
"How are we talking."  
  
'A favor from a friend'  
  
Hiei looked at him with surprise, "Koenma?" Before he could hear Kurama's answer a wave of sleep spread it's wings over him, and he was lulled into sleep. Kurama running his hand through Hiei's hair.   
  
'Another death approaches...another death...' Kurama looked at Hiei and shook him slightly, 'Hiei...' He grunted, and Kurama whispered, 'You won't be able to see me anymore...I'm not really supposed to be here....' Hiei made a small noise again, and Kurama shook his head. Hiei was too tired to hear him anyway.  
  
The music was playing again but not coming from Hiei. He knew where it was coming from, and he knew who it was playing for. Kurama's mind drifted over to Yusuke. 'Yusuke...how will everyone react? How will you react to this misfortune? Poor Kuwabara, he will blame himself for the agony that will happen tomorrow.'  
  
Kurama looked down at the slumbering demon. The song was back, and he heard the words this time.  
  
'When the cold nights comes  
  
I know, I know,  
  
My days are done.'  
  
'But look my friend,  
  
with all thats happened,  
  
its not end.'  
  
'Hold on to my memories,  
  
Don't let me sleep away.  
  
I'm not just history.'  
  
'You know I'm going,  
  
to a better place.  
  
so start showing,  
  
me your happy face.'  
  
'Cuz when the cold nights come,  
  
I know, I know,  
  
My days are done.'  
  
'I see the light,  
  
I can't turn away,  
  
I don't want to fight,  
  
take my soul away.'  
  
'So God, I'm ready,  
  
Sweep me away.  
  
My unstable legs are steady,  
  
despite the fear that won't go away.'  
  
'Hold on to my memories,  
  
Don't let me sleep away.  
  
I'm not just history.'  
  
'I see the light,  
  
I can't turn away,  
  
I don't want to fight,  
  
take my soul away.'  
  
'Take my soul away...'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
wahahahaha! I tried to twist Kurama's words so you couldn't figure out whos going to die in the next chapter. Is it Kuwabara? Or Yusuke....*evil laughter* Only I know the truth!! PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
T_T only two more chapters left....I had so much fun with this....Hiei has found peace, and the war is slowly coming to an end. Who will win is still unknown. Kuwabara is up! And he is able to fight...but a death is coming near. Can the three handle it? DUN DUN DUN! 


	18. The Blood On Yusuke's Face

Yusuke awoke, and sat up quickly, sweat on his brow. It was quiet, and through the shield he could see staggering men and woman, including demons, trying to hold their own. Both sides were weak, and by the looks of it, there would be one more attack, and then the victor of this battle would be decided. How long had he been asleep?  
  
"Your awake."  
  
Yusuke turned seeing Hiei. The small demon stood there, a smile in his eyes, as well as his face.  
  
"Whats happening?"  
  
"This is the closure...its almost done...this war...its finally going to end."  
  
Yusuke pulled himself out of bed. "Over? Look at all of them...its not just over. Its the end for all of us." Yusuke looked outside, "Sure it's over. One last attack and we'll know who has won." Hiei nodded, "Yes Yusuke...don't sound so bitter. It will all end soon, and we will be the victor." Hiei paused, "Yusuke you've been out for almost a week...there is much you have missed."  
  
Yusuke paled, his thought turning to his bestfriend, who he remembered wheezing as he did a simple task of sleeping. "KUWABARA! WHERE IS HE?!"  
  
"Easy Urameshi...Easy."  
  
Yusuke spun around to see Kuwabara sitting on the other side of him. He was still pale, and now resembled Kurama's body. Looking like white powder had coated his skin, his lips cracked, and parts of his body blue. His body still to small and thin to be the Kuwabara they knew.  
  
"Kuwabara...why...why do you look like that?" Yusuke asked slowly. Kuwabara smiled, "My life is coming to a close, but as I've said before, if I die...I'm going down fighting...and I would have diea all over again if I died while you were asleep...cus I know you would die."  
  
Yusuke leapt out of bed, crushing Kuwabara in a hug sobbing, "Your not dying! YOUR NOT!" "Yusuke...it's not as if we're parting ways...We're just saying good bye. And after a good bye, there's always a hello, right?" Kuwabara said laughing, as he ran his fingers through Yusuke's hair."  
  
Yusuke clutched at him, and sobbed, "I know...I don't care if its only a little while, I can't lose you." Hiei came over, and pat Yusuke's back. "Yusuke have faith...have faith everything will be fine...everything." Yusuke looked at him. He gave a faint smile.  
  
"Have you found peace with your self? About Kurama?"   
  
Hiei nodded, "I just needed to have a talk with him."  
  
Yusuke rose, and scrubbed his eyes, Kuwabara slowly pushing himself out of his chair. He placed his arm around Kuwabara's waist, supporting his friend. "If...If you want to fight, then I'll help you. If Hiei can find peace with this, then I'll be okay, right?" Kuwabara nodded, smiling slightly so not to crack his lips.  
  
"All right then." Kuwabara smiled, taking a bold big step, swinging his arm up in the air, "Lets go kick some Demon as*!" Kuwabara looked at Hiei, "Bad demon as*." Hiei shook his head giving a small amused smile, "Baka..."  
  
Kuwabara shrugged and Yusuke smiled.   
  
No snappy response.  
  
That was a first.  
  
"Strange how people come together..."  
  
"I don't like him like that!"  
  
"HE MEANT AS IN FRIENDSHIP WAYS YOU DUMB SH*T!"  
  
"WATCH IT ANKLE BITER!"  
  
Kuwabara stopped, and coughed, bending down choking, bringing Yusuke with him. Hiei went over to him, arms up, and looking panicked. "Gotcha!" Kuwabara turned smiling, sweat on his face. Hiei growled at him and marched off.  
  
"You weren't faking that were you?"  
  
"Nah, but I couldn't have the shorty feel bad."  
  
"So you two really have gotten closer?"  
  
"Not much but its a start...Your still my best buddy."  
  
"I don't have to worry about that, your mine too you oaf."  
  
"Watch it...I may feel like k-rape *word I made up with my friends* but I can still whoop your A*s!"  
  
"K-rape? How can you rape a 'k'?"  
  
"Ah shut up."  
  
~*~  
  
The trio stood down at the trench, Yusuke holding onto Kuwabara tightly. Kuwabara had his hand gripped on Yusuke's shoulder, and Hiei's back. They all three knew these were Kuwabara's last moments. They hadn't had time to say good-bye to Kurama, and they weren't going to miss out on saying Good-bye to Kuwabara.  
  
For not being able to say good-bye to their fox friend, had left a far greater scar than anyof their battle wounds.  
  
"Knowing your luck, somehow you'll live. You always seem too." Hiei humped.  
  
"Aw...how sweet of you."  
  
"Yusuke, you cocky bas*ard..."  
  
"Whats with your guys' mouths? Geez you sound like sailors..."  
  
Kuwabara coughed, blood splattering the trench.  
  
The first blood shed of the day.  
  
"Are you guys ready...looks like they're about to start firing." Hiei, and Kuwabara nodded, and Yusuke pulled Kuwabara closer, giving his friend a hug. Maybe his last.  
  
But all their thoughts seemed to be resting on Kuwabara's fate...and not Yusuke's.  
  
However, Yusuke was thinking of what Hiei had said, and his brow furrowed as he spoke his thoughts, "Hiei you may be right...Kuwabara always seems to live no matter what the dangers..."  
  
"Now that I think about it..." Kuwabara mumbled, "Rando, Byakko, giving my life energy to Yusuke, Saving Yukina, several times in the dark tournament, my kidnapping..." Kuwabara continued listing and blinked with surprise. "Dam* I'm lucky."   
  
"Now who's the sailor?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
No more words were spoken as the first blast of energy was fried.   
  
It had begun.  
  
Energy bombs, fire, earth, water, electricity, all flying around out of the air. Both sides suffering attack after attack. The sound of whistling wind in the air. Everything could be heard, could be seen. This was the most important part of the war. The most dangerous. Where more people would die in a single minute, than the last battles. This was the day tears would fall down demon's cheeks, and humans would comfort them. This part of the war would always be remembered, as the worst part of the 9 month hell hole.  
  
The end.  
  
Kuwabara and Yusuke stayed close, though Yusuke could not hold onto him anymore. Yusuke stood over Kuwabara, whenever he could, and only didn't when he was shot in the chest. He fell backwards, and hit the ground cursing. "URAMESHI!"   
  
"Its okay!" Yusuke winced, "It wasn't energy, it was fire. I'm fine." Kuwabara held on to Yusuke forwning at his brun mark, when they heard a demon cry out, "WE HAVE TRAITORS AMONG OUR MISTS!" Kuwabara and Yusuke turned around, and saw five demons, and three humans shooting at their own comrades. Before the two knew it they were thrust into the battle, and were fighting the traitors.  
  
Yusuke could hear no sound, but he saw the blood flying in the air. He heard his heart beat, and felt the cold wind at his back. Blood droplets flew in the air, and he could feel the presence of his best friend fighting with his all next to him.   
  
Kuwabara was in the same state, he could hear his panting, feel the cold sweat on his skin, and worst of all, he could feel his body slipping more and more. It seemed like he had to struggle to keep his spirit inside his body. Like it wouldn't stay inside of him. His soul, his life trying to leave his vessel given by God.   
  
'I can't go yet, not while Urameshi still needs me. I can't leave him.'  
  
Then it happened.  
  
Kuwabara turned around and saw Yusuke pushing down a demon, and struggling to kill him. Another demon had snuck up on him, and had raised his arm. In his hand was a javelin made from spirit energy. He laughed, and threw it. It's path was Yusuke's back.  
  
Kuwabara ran, and it was if there where arms pulling him back. It seemed like his tired, ill body wasn't going to let him get there to Yusuke, or even call out.  
  
'When the cold nights come...'  
  
Wait what was that? Kuwabara blinked. He could have sworn Kurama was in his head singing this sad song. The song was somehow familiar...  
  
'I know, I know, My days are done....'  
  
The Javelin was an inch away from Kuwabara's best friend and he wasn't there! "YUSUKE!!!" Yusuke turned to see the racing Javelin coming at him, and he froze.  
  
Yusuke's pain filled scream flooded the air, along with the sound of squishing guts. Kuwabara's throat closed as he looked at his friend's face. Yusuke was pale, red blood splattered against his cheeks. His face was too white, almost the color of snow, and his eyes watered over.  
  
A single tear dripped down his cheek and he gasped, "Kuwabara."  
  
Kuwabara lay on the ground the weapon sticking out of his chest. His red blood had splashed all over his friend, who had screamed as his friend was hit. Yusuke sat down, ignoring the battle around him, and moved Kuwabara in his lap.  
  
Blood dribbled out Kuwabara's mouth, dyeing his teeth. He coughed, and looked at his friend, and smiled. His lips were purple, and blue was under his eyes. "Its cold." Yusuke began to breath hard, and too quick, "No...NO! YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE THIS WAY!"  
  
"Hush now...I'm glad..."  
  
"NO!"  
  
"I'm glad...I would...would have hated dying from a...an ailment, instead of a fight...talk about an...an honor...honorable death." Kuwabara smiled. "This is what I wanted..."  
  
Yusuke had his hand tangled into Kuwabara's air, and the other wrapped around his shoulder. "NO! I KNOW I SAID I COULD HANDLE THIS BUT I CAN'T! I CAN'T! GOD NO, PLEASE! KUWABARA! KUWABARA!" Yusuke was sobbing, and nothing would stop him.  
  
Kuwabara placed his hand in Yusuke's hair, running his fingers through it. "Yusuke..." Yusuke pulled away from him. "Do you thin..think I would have be...been happy dying that way?...I...I would never...be at pe...peace..." Kuwabara placed his cold hand on Yusuke's face.  
  
"Kazuma don't die!" Yusuke sobbed. Kuwabara smiled, it was funny. Kuwabara had said Yusuke's first name as he was dying, and Yusuke said his own while he was dying. Their first names seemed to be linked to sadness. Kuwabara knew it was going to end soon.  
  
"Its all gonna be fine...I...I'll see you...see you on the...the other side."  
  
'I see the light,  
  
I can't turn away,  
  
I don't want to fight,  
  
take my soul away.'  
  
Kuwabara's eyes turned glassy, and it looked as if tears had filled up in them. His head dropped back, and he went limp. He was pale, and blue. Kurama hadn't looked like this, then again he wasn't struggling to live. Death came quick for him.   
  
Kuwabara had been struggling to live for over a month, since he'd caught Pneumonia so long ago...  
  
Yusuke froze, and crushed his friend to him, and gave such a mournful cry, the fighting going around him, stopped. They starred as the broken man held his best friend, and began rocking him. Both sides surprised at the incredible sadness pouring off him.  
  
Hiei dashed forward, and stood maybe a foot away from his friend. He looked at Kuwabara, and shuddered, Kuwabara's head was tilted just so that his dead glassy eyes starred at him. Hiei looked at Yusuke, and saw himself. And in place of him was Kurama.  
  
"Dam*" Hiei sunk to the ground. "D*mm...DA*M! YOU FU*KING MORONS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! STOP TAKING MY FRIENDS!" Energy roared off him, but he wasn't the only one. Yusuke's normal self had disappeared. He was once again, in his demon form.   
  
He held Kuwabara, who was like a doll.  
  
Hiei got up starring at him. Not in awe, or shock, but in understanding. They were both going to stop this war.   
  
"They've taken Kurama, and now Kuwabara...they won't take anyone else..." Yusuke growled, long hair blowing with the wind.  
  
'Take my soul away...'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
dun dun! I hope I made you wonder at who died. la. PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:  
  
the last chapter T_T oh well. this was fun. The final battle. Its all thats left. Will Yusuke and Hiei destroy themselves, to kill the enemy?...*holds up hands* not syaing anything.  
  
btw i wrote the death song, just in case people don't accuse me of stealing another peeps song (don't wann go through that...^_^() ) 


	19. To The Death, To The Victory

Yusuke and Hiei strode over in the middle of the open battle field. Completely open to hits from either side. Their power so strongly radiating off them, that any power strikes disintegrated, and rolled off them not leaving a scratch.  
  
Yusuke starred strait ahead angry tears pouring down his cheeks. Bitterness consumed him, and his hate for the war fueled his power.  
  
~FLASH BACK~  
  
Yusuke walked into the medical area, and everyone starred at him frozen. Yusuke ignored the looks, and placed Kuwabara on a cot. He grabbed a white sheet and wiped Kuwabara's bloody face, and he was reminded of how he had to do this with Kurama. Except they had to tie it around his waist and back, so as not to let his organs fall out.  
  
Hiei was starring at him, and muttered Kurama's name closing his eyes. Yusuke placed a hand over Kuwabara's eyes, and closed them. He did not want Boeton, who would see Kuwabara's body no doubt, to see the forever staying pained hue. The hue that would stay in his eyes forever.  
  
"Please...Kuwabara...come back. If your not there when the war's over...then I'll join you where ever you may be. Suicide, murder," Yusuke spat, "I don't care just as long as we'll be together again."  
  
"We'll both join him, and Kurama." Hiei stated. A grim look on his face.  
  
Yusuke nodded.  
  
"Don't do anything foolish! Haven't you heard?" The two turned to stare at a demon. "What?"  
  
The demon went quiet. "We should all just leave...Koenma is no longer in Spirit World. It is said, he has died." Hiei grabbed him, and yanked him down towards him. "Just run? Run and leave your friends to die? TARNISHING THE MEMORY OF ALL WHO'S LIVES WERE LOST?!" Hiei punched the demon and starred down at him. "If you suggested something as stupid as that...why are you even here?"  
  
Yusuke looked at him, "If Koenma is dead, doesn't he matter enough to you to avenge his death?" he asked coldly. Holding his cheek he barked, "No! He died, and he started this war!"  
  
Yusuke laughed, "Started?! *They* started the war you fool! Koenma died, wasting his energy to give us a fair chance! And you want to repay him by just forgetting what all has happened here?"  
  
"Yes! You are the fools! Why stay when we have time to run!"  
  
Yusuke ignored this and pulled Kuwabara closer to him. He marched stiffly over to the portal, and placed him inside. Not wanting to see him be taken away by some Shinigami he did not know, he turned and left. "Lets go." Yusuke said, and Hiei nodded.  
  
"To the death." Hiei stated.  
  
"To the victory." Yusuke added.  
  
~END OF FLASH BACK~  
  
Yusuke and Hiei came to stop in the middle of the field. Yusuke ripped off his bracelet that supplied him with power, as did Hiei. "I want to kill them with my own power." Hiei growled.   
  
Yusuke held up his finger, "Lets do it."  
  
The enemy demons had know idea what hit them. A wave of blasts swept over them coming from only Yusuke and Hiei. Many were killed in the first sweep, but it didn't stop there. They kept getting attacked, over and over. There was screams, and cries of mercy.  
  
These cries fell deaf on Hiei, and Yusuke's ears. Yusuke dropped on one knee, turning back into his old self. "We're killing ourselves aren't we?" Hiei gasped, and fell down on both knees.  
  
"Yes." Yusuke wheezed. Hiei smirked, sweat on his brow. "Good."  
  
When they could no longer force energy out of their bodies, they fell backwards, and they heard the sounds of a few survivors. "Looks like...this is the...part where we...get ripped apart, eh Hiei?" Yusuke panted eyes half open. "Looks like."  
  
Then, they felt a rumbling, and heard a strange sound. The ground shook, and their mouths feel open as a white light shot strait out, and blew up the enemies trench. "Whoever fired that blast...way to go." Hiei laughed, and smiled as he felt his life begin to slip away.  
  
"Listen to them cheer..." Hiei said grumpily. "Can't they shut up...I want to die in peace, and not listen to noisy idiots."   
  
"Your weird." Yusuke whispered.  
  
Suddenly, they both became aware of footsteps.   
  
"Hello boys."   
  
Hiei's and Yusuke's eyes grew wide. "You..." Yusuke breathed in shock.  
  
Koenma stood smiling over them, in his teenaged form. He looked tired, and half dead. His skin pale, and even looking slight blue. "Why do you look...so tired? We're the one...ones who ended the war."  
  
"Yes...but I won my own...my own personal war." Koenma smiled, placing his hands down on Yusuke's and Hiei's head. "I won the battle against death...weird...the thought of me being able to die?" He smiled at them, and through his touch the two felt his weakened soul. And the faint of energy in his palms.  
  
He had fired the blast.  
  
The two smiled, and jumped slightly at what happened next.  
  
A warm feeling spread over them, and they had to close their eyes from this blinding white light, that not only swept over them, but over the others behind them.   
  
Once done, Hiei and Yusuke both sat up. "Wha...?" Koenma smiled, I returned life to you...to everyone..." He looked even worse, "Just like I preomised...granted...I'll need another long rest."  
  
He smiled, "Come..we have some friends waiting for you back at my place."  
  
~SPIRIT WORLD~  
  
Inside the walls of Koenma's realm, everything had been cleared away, desks for the demons, and even walls had been knocked down. Their were hundreds of people, thousands even, meeting each other. Reuniting.   
  
All of them.  
  
Yusuke turned and smiled at a group he spotted. Yuki. He was there, and he had picked up Hope, and another young demon her size, and was swinging them around. A taller demon had his hand on his shoulder, while another one who looked like a younger Yuki with shorter hair, was smacking his back. Yuki was crying and set the younger boy down. He held Hope high in the air, both of them crying.  
  
"I'd like those swimming lessons now."   
  
Yusuke smiled as he heard Hope say that.  
  
"KAZUMA!"  
  
Yusuke's heart stopped and he whipped around and felt his heart sink a little. But at the same time he was happy. It was the little Kazuma he'd met. Yusuke was surprised he'd survived.  
  
The red headed boy, his best friend, had tackled him. "YAIKO!" Kazuma laughed gripping his friend's shoulders. Yaiko was taller than him, and was crying and squeezing his friends shoulders, shaking him. He stopped and touched a spot on Kazuma'a head.  
  
"What this? Looks like you have a circular scar."  
  
"Yeah. I was shot in the head, just as Koenma appeared, so I didn't die fully." Yaiko froze, and his eyes teared over. He grabbed Kazuma crushing the smaller boy to him. "Kazuma...no..."   
  
"It's not like I died!" He cried surprised, "Your the one that died!" Kazuma wrapped his arms around him, tears coming to his own eyes.  
  
"I dun' care...you were almost killed...I would have...have hated to see you join me in death..."  
  
Yusuke smiled, and scanned the room looking for his friend.  
  
Hiei was doing just the same, when someone said, "Hey Hiei." He turned and saw the girl who died when the trench had been flooded.   
  
"It's Keely, Remember?" He nodded, and turned fully to look at her. He recognized her from when they had first met, blue eyes, red hair. He smirked, "And what do you want human?"  
  
She held out her hand. "I want to start over." He blinked. "I died before I got your answer. Hello, I'm Keely." Hiei smiled softly and took her hand. "Hiei." "How do you do, Hiei?" She smiled widely at him, and her smile must have been contagious, because he smiled back.   
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"We better meet again." She smiled and waved. She skipped over to a tall demon, Danton, if Hiei remembered correctly. She barely went to his waist, though they looked the same age. He picked her up with a smile, and placed her on his shoulders. She looked back, and waved good-bye to Hiei.  
  
He waved a little back, feeling foolish, when someone was crushing him with a hug.   
  
"MY STARS! YOUNG'N YOUR SO THIN! YOU NEED TO EAT MORE!" Hiei pulled away, and starred at the woman before him.   
  
"Mali." His voice came out hoarse.   
  
She smiled, and pinched his cheek. "Hello Hiei...I'm so glad to see you in one piece." Hiei swallowed and nodded. SHe pulled him to her hugging him tightly, her head bent down in his hair.  
  
'This is what it's like to have a mother.' Hiei slowly brought an arm up, hugging her back. She pulled away, and kissed his forehead. "Duso!" She turned and beckoned a young man over. He recognized him as her son. "This is my son, and this is the nice young demon I was talking about. I'd let you meet my daughter, but I haven't found her yet!"   
  
Duso smiled, and hugged Hiei. Hiei surmised that this family was not afraid to hug strangers. "Thanks for watchin' my mother." Duso handed him something. It was a piece of paper.   
  
"What's this?"  
  
Duso smiled, "Our address."  
  
Mali held Hiei's shoulders, "You come whenever you like. You've been adopted, so you better visit or I'll visit you." Hiei felt a rare wave of happiness flood him. "Thanks..."  
  
Mali kissed his forehead again, and smiled, tears in her eyes. "Come visit. Visit soon, I got to go. I've got to find my little girl and my stupid husband." Hiei didn't know she had a husband, and he mentally slapped himself. To have a child, you needed a husband.  
  
Duh.  
  
"Hiei, Yusuke." Said people, turned and saw Koenma smiling, "In my office please."   
  
The two followed him down to Koenma's office, he turned and smiled. He pushed open the door, and made a swooping motion inviting them in.  
  
The two walked in and stopped.   
  
Sitting on Koenma's desk and laughing, was Kurama. The reason he was laughing, was because Kuwabara was spinning around in Koenma's chair. Kuwabara was trying to talk as he did so, and only managed to get out, "I think I'm gonna hurl!" Kurama laughed, and shook his head.  
  
Yusuke and Hiei watched in a trance. There they were. Rosy color in Kurama's cheeks, the hole in his stomach gone. Kuwabara was back to his proper weight, and looked like himself again. He was smiling and the blue skin was gone.  
  
They were truly alive.  
  
Hiei sped over to Kurama, and grabbed his wrist. Kurama saw him, and tears filled his eyes. "Hiei..." He wrapped his arms around Hiei, and both cried.   
  
"Kurama...Kurama. I'm sorry."  
  
"Shut up. None of this was your fault, and you know it...I'm so glad to see you again my friend." They held onto each other as if they'd never let go.  
  
Yusuke ran forward and tackled Kuwabara, taking him and the chair down.   
  
"Ow..." Kuwabara grunted. "Geez dead for only about 45 minutes, maybe less, and as soon as you see me you gotta tackle me!" Kuwabara said with a smile. His eyes were moist.   
  
"You where dead since we rescued you! You kept your spirit trapped inside your body, you stubborn jack as*!"  
  
Yusuke was laughing and rest his head on Kuwabara's chest to hear his heart beat. Once that was done, Yusuke looked at him a giant smile plastered on his face. "Look at you." He whispered tears streaming down his eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your not pale, coughing, sick, no cracked lips, no blue skin..." Yusuke dropped his head onto Kuwabara's chest, and sobbed, "Your you again."  
  
Kuwabara laughed and got up, pulling Yusuke with him both having tears in their eyes.   
  
The group drifted all together and Yusuke held Kurama's shoulders shaking him. "You as*...don't stand up while we're being shot at, you idiot!" Kurama smiled, "Well they weren't firing at the time!" Yusuke laughed.  
  
"God, it's good to see you." Kurama smiled. "It feels as if I have not seen you for years...the same with Kuwabara. Every minute that went bye, he looked more miserable than the last. He was so worried about you."  
  
Yusuke smiled, "And you weren't?" Kurama shrugged, "Your Yusuke you can survive anything." Yusuke laughed and hugged Kurama tightly.  
  
Hiei and Kuwabara stood in front of each other, Kuwabara smiling, and Hiei looking a bit uncomfortable showing a small smile, even a small one to Kuwabara. "It's good to see you made it." Kuwabara said hugging Hiei around the shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry you didn't."   
  
Hiei hesitated, but he whispered unsure, "Looks like we're friends now."   
  
Kuwabara chuckled  
  
"So it seems."  
  
"...We're still going to be cruel to each other, huh?"  
  
"Only on special occasions."  
  
"Which means 90% of the time."  
  
"Of course."   
  
Koenma cleared his throat and smiled at them. "Everyone in this entire place gets a break...at least a half a year long." Koenma laughed.   
  
"What about the demons?" Yusuke asked surprised. "After this war, no one will try to bother us for a while." Koenma smiled, circles under his eyes, "A good while."  
  
"You still look like crap." Kuwabara hmphed.  
  
Koenma laughed, "I need to rest as well...I'm not exactly in the safe zone of keeping my life. You know...if I died...I wouldn't go anywhere...I'd just...fade away."  
  
The others went quiet, and Koenma said in a serious hushed voice, "Thank you....Thank you for doing this for me, thank you for saving my life. I'll thank the others later, but right now..." Koenma looked up at them. "I'm thanking you."  
  
The four smiled, changed for the good and for the worst. Nightmares were sure to follow, and this 6 month long break would be good for them, for they had many bad days, and memories they need to face. But for right now, they stood together, reunited once again. Koenma's grateful gaze upon them.  
  
"Thank You."  
  
END!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
YES! FINALLY! Hope ya'll satisfied. I'm having 2 sequels just like I did for Three tests! One will be called Yaoiwar that is for the yaoi sequel, and the the other will be Hetwar, for strait version. T_T so sad its over, but I have many more ideas, and I can't wait to begin them.   
  
see ya'll! 


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